GAFA et al

• [New] Apple chipmaking partner TSMC is on track to begin risk production of a 3-nanometer fabrication process in 2021, followed by volume production in the second half of 2022.
• [New] In the US, Amazon has ordered 100,000 electric delivery lorries, while the state of California plans to make all truck sales electric by 2045.
• [New] The prototype of Apple AR / VR glasses is expected to appear at the end of 2021, while the mass production plan will be postponed to the beginning of 2022.
• [New] Apple Car production is expected to begin in 2024 with a breakthrough battery technology that offers longer range and also lower cost.
• [New] More than half of all UK households are expected to own at least one smart speaker by 2022, thanks to the meteoric rise of Apple's Siri, Amazon's Alexa, and Google's Smart Assistant.
• [New] By the end of 2022, Amazon expects to have 85 cargo planes crisscrossing the U.S.
• [New] Four aircraft purchased from WestJet are in the process of being converted from passenger to cargo planes, and will start flying as part of the Amazon Air fleet in 2021.
• [New] We may see a new MacBook Air with Apple Silicon and a mini-LED display in 2022, with other products like a 24-inch iMac and a smaller Mac Pro-like desktop in a not so distant future.
• [New] Apple is expected to launch its first augmented reality headset in 2020, followed by a pair of AR glasses in 2023.
• [New] Apple plans to release its long-awaited AirTags item trackers, an unspecified augmented reality device, and other new products in 2021.
• [New] Apple is expected to launch new MacBook Pro 2021 laptops with Apple Silicon processors in 2021, which could include both 14-inch and 16-inch models.
• [New] Apple stock has been rising in recent days on reports that Apple is moving forward with project Titan, and targeting to produce a self-driving electric Apple Car by 2024.
• [New] Major companies such as Apple, the world's most valuable corporation, have announced plans to implement carbon neutral supply chains and products by 2030.
• [New] Apple is widely expected to begin transitioning to mini LED displays in 2021, and a new report from Digitimes adds further corroboration.
• The planes from WestJet are already being converted into cargo aircraft and will join Amazon Air's fleet in 2021, while the Delta planes will become part of Amazon's network in 2022.
• Apple is working on an iPhone with both Face ID and an on-display fingerprint sensor for launch in 2021, which suggests that one of the 2021 iPhones could perhaps have both Face ID and Touch ID.
• Apple will release redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models in 2021, both with mini LED display technology and Apple Silicon inside.
• Apple has adopted dToF LiDAR scanner in iPad Pro and iPhone 12 Pro series, and is expected to apply the scanner technology to all its 2021 iPhone models, which will remain available with Face ID sensors.
• Apple plans to release redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with Apple Silicon and Mini-LED displays in 2021.
• Apple plans to release new AirPods, more Apple Silicon Macs, and its first devices with Mini-LED displays throughout the year.
• There have been a couple rumors indicating Apple is working on iPhones with both Face ID and under-display Touch ID and it's possible 2021 is the year we will see that dual-biometric technology, but it is early in the rumor cycle so plans could change.
• With the dominance of big tech players like Google, Facebook, Amazon, Apple, and rise of China-based tech companies, the privacy side of security will be put into focus in the coming year.

Last updated: 17 January 2021