Qualcomm will accelerate 5G adoption in mid-range smartphones with its modem-RF systems, ABI Research analyst Malik Saadi emailed Wednesday. Calling the Snapdragon 765 platform a “milestone,” Saadi said Qualcomm will have an edge on competitors MediaTek and Unisoc, which aren’t expected to hit the market before second half 2020. The X52 modem-RF system design is 100 percent based on Qualcomm’s chips, including modem, antenna and RF components, meaning OEM partners won’t have to go through complex RF procurement processes involving different RF chip suppliers. The system-level design approach adopted in Snapdragon X52 could help improve the overall connectivity performance of the platform and lower its power consumption compared with assembling various RF components from multiple vendors, Saadi said. Most competitors, including MediaTek, Unisoc, Hisilicon, Samsung and Apple, still lack key RF components, he said. Tuesday, Qualcomm President Cristiano Amon told the Snapdragon Tech Summit (see 1912030044) 2020 will be the year 5G reaches scale, with an expected 200 million subscribers globally. Qualcomm forecasts 2.8 billion 5G “connections” will be at play by 2025, he said. “It’s really going to be a much faster transition than what we have seen in prior generations of wireless.”

Qualcomm estimates 325 operators in 109 countries are "investing" in 5G, President Cristiano Amon told the Snapdragon Tech Summit Tuesday in Maui, Hawaii. Forty operators and 40 smartphone OEMs globally have launched 5G devices and services, he said. Qualcomm sees 2020 as the year in which “we’re really going to bring 5G to scale,” he said. “By the end of 2020, we expect to reach 200 million 5G subscribers.” Qualcomm forecasts 2.8 billion 5G “connections” globally will be at play by 2025, he said. “It’s really going to be a much faster transition than what we have seen in prior generations of wireless.”

Black Friday was the biggest day ever for mobile shopping, at $2.9 billion, Adobe reported. Some 39 percent of all e-commerce sales was via smartphones, up 21 percent, while 61 percent of all online traffic to retailers came from smartphones, up 16 percent. E-commerce companies with over $1 billion in annual revenue had an 11 percent higher smartphone revenue share and were 66 percent more efficient in conversions from traffic to sales than businesses under $50 million. The company's real-time shopping analytics service emailed Monday it forecasts November-December online sales of $143.8 billion vs. $126 billion last year. Black Friday set a new record of $7.4 billion online.

The Patent and Trademark Office granted Samsung’s request for its first six-month deadline extension to file the “statement of use” (SOU) forms required of the “Real 8K Resolution” logo trademark it applied for in August 2018, agency records show. The black-and-rose-colored logo got preliminary PTO approval in June after no opposition. Samsung is entitled to up to five six-month SOU deadline extensions but must file the forms by June 2022 or risk abandoning the trademark. The SOU is the final step before a trademark registration certificate can be issued. Samsung’s application predates by 14 months LG’s Oct. 21 filing to trademark a black-and-gold “Real 8K” logo.

Despite “some waning in consumer confidence,” Best Buy sees strong consumer sentiment, so smartphones and some other technology sales are expected to grow “a little more” in Q4, said Chief Financial Officer Matt Bilunas on a Tuesday Q3 call. Domestic online revenue grew 15 percent year on year, primarily on higher order value, he said. Q4 revenue of $14.75 billion-$15.15 billion assumes announced Dec. 15 tariffs take hold. The retailer is bringing in products before tariff implementation; making strategic decisions on vendors and products; making sourcing and pricing changes; and developing strategies with vendors. The most relevant tariffed categories for Best Buy for coming tariff products include smartwatches, smartphones and videogame consoles, the CFO said. Fulfillment options available to consumers have “completely changed the competitive landscape” for how quickly shoppers can get their items, CEO Corie Barry. The stock closed up 9.8 percent at $81.53.

China's Hisense, taking advantage of its tariff-immune manufacturing in Mexico, will sled into the holiday season mid-December with a pair of advanced Roku TVs, it announced Monday. The products will sell online only at Amazon and Walmart. “December is not the time retailers want to do a reset on their floor,” Chris Porter, director-product management, told us in New York. Sets will move into stores in Q1. Other TV brands have been asking the company to manufacture their product, said Jim Ninesling, head-marketing. The TVs' Hi-View chipset controls hardware and software and adds artificial intelligence to the user experience.

Sprint previewed holiday deals it’s planning for Monday, led by a freebie for the iPhone 11 for customers switching to the carrier and trading in an iPhone 6s or newer. Also free is an iPad 7 with 24-month contract, Sprint said. Switchers can get a Samsung Galaxy S10 free with a Flex contract. LG is rewarding G8X ThinQ buyers with a free 49-inch 4K smart TV if they buy a model with a dual screen for $15 monthly or the 5G version for $19 a month with a new line and 18-month contract. Customers who buy a Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 6 Bluetooth speaker for $199 get a $100 airline voucher.

Moving to 5G is “ramping faster than previous wireless generations,” Canaccord Genuity emailed Friday. It counts about 40 smartphone OEMs and 40 wireless operators “launching or announcing 5G products and commercial service.” 5G technologies likely create "compelling new business opportunities,” including virtual and augmented reality, autonomous driving, industrial IoT and smart cities, it told investors.

An eBay shopping guide released Wednesday shows iPhone 11, Apple Watch, Samsung Galaxy S10 smartphone, Apple AirPods and Bose SoundSport Free true wireless headphones as the top tech products eBay customers are looking for this holiday season. Shoppers are opting for the 11 Pro model, which is outselling the standard model by 138 percent, said the e-commerce marketplace.

Alternative shopping methods are increasingly resonating with consumers, said Adobe Tuesday. Some 35 percent of all e-commerce sales since Nov. 1 were made on a smartphone, up 15 percent over the 2018 period. The buy online, pickup in store option generated 26 percent more sales, it said. “All signs point to strong sales growth this year, with consumers buying almost 50% more than last year just through their phones," said analyst Taylor Schreiner.