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Z-CAM E2 cameras lineup production can suddenly stop
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  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    One more dealer told that communication from Z CAM side became strange lately. Very hard to get clear answers and near impossible to order proper amount of cameras.

  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    Rumors keep coming that Z-CAM cameras production is falling at steady state. Company still have some stock of main LSI, but it is harder and harder each week now.

    Most probably the breakup moment will happen in early January.

  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    Regarding the annual global ranking of smartphone brands for 2021, Huawei will experience a further and significant decline in its device production. This is because of the effects of the U.S. export restrictions and the spin-off of Honor as a separate entity operating in the smartphone market. Huawei is currently projected to tumble from third place in 2020 to seventh place in 2021. The top six for 2021, in order, will be Samsung, Apple, Xiaomi, OPPO, Vivo, and Transsion.

    Huawei now don't have any LSI except small savings produced in early 2020 that they will use in the top smartphones, but they also plan to hike price to keep sales low enough. Also service will be extremely problematic.

    Servicing of existing smartphones already started to face problems with company suggesting to replace device to newer models made on cheap MTK chipsets and without Goolge Play.

    Z-CAM LSI is now being hunted by manufacturers of action cameras.

  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    New interesting bit of info I got

    Z-CAM talks about totally abandoning current HiSilicon based design.

    Yet they have issue, as only good domestic chips come from Ambarella and part of Z-CAM team are ex Ambarella engineers that had some issue during leaving.

    Rumors are that relations are not still good enough to allow Z-CAM to get supply and information.

  • LongJohnSilverLongJohnSilver

    Z-CAM LSI is now being hunted by manufacturers of action cameras.

    I didn't get you. Is Z-Cam looking for action camera components?

  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    @LongJohnSilver

    I didn't get you. Is X-Cam looking for action camera components?

    Z-CAM already use main chip that had been made for action and security cameras. From HiSilicon.

    They never told about this, as it could hurt their big margins (their margin for all except 3 models is around 1.5-2x compared to the average camera industry).

    Issue is that HiSilicon is banned by TSMC and can't longer make chip that they use.

    To go around it they cut production of cheapest models (they had been 70-80% of sales in number of cameras). And also cut delivery for smaller or less known markets. But it is all temporary solution anyway.

    Now they look for potential replacement (but it means total redesign and huge changes in code). Plus they have some backstory. I don't know details but guy who told me this also told it can be serious.

  • LongJohnSilverLongJohnSilver

    Ok, thanks

  • lars_stevenssonlars_stevensson

    Status? Shouldn't they be done by now?

  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    @lars_stevensson

    Shouldn't they be done by now?

    Availability clearly dropped across the world, but they focus on profitable and some good selling bodies.

    LSI still is not available (and no changes considering Huawei are in sign), but they could have snatched batch, and due to very low sales they can be good for some time.

  • DrDaveDrDave

    I don't see the price moving an inch. OTOH my 6K S6 seems reasonably priced for what you get. I'm sure they make money on it......

  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    @DrDave

    Main LSI cost was tiny compared to even cheapest camera. In fact its price is around 1/3-1/10 from self cost of modern digital cameras LSI used in Sony and Panasonic cameras. Main reason being that they are much smaller scale products, have more powerful DSPs and cores and better thermal properties (up to 5 times better in case of Panasonic).

    It can be really interesting to see how Z-CAM guys will redesign their products.

    For now it is only visible that company is in slight shock and none of new products are being talked about (contrary to time before Huawei sanctions).

    One of their dealers told me that situation with logistics management was so bad that they actually did not know LSI problem and availability issue prior my post in their group. Just was not informed and never cared. He talked to their representative some time ago asking about various camera availability and had been told this.

    Btw, they also had no idea about raw limitations and patents before my talk to them also.

  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    Huawei chips are mostly out of stock now

    image

    You can see here collapse of Huawei/Honor smartphones import.

    People in the industry tell that it is all due to issues with main and auxiliary chips.

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    706 x 481 - 59K
  • lars_stevenssonlars_stevensson

    Four months later, and ZCAM still chugging along.

  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    @lars_stevensson

    Indeed.

    Just remember that Z-CAM sales are tiny compared to big cameras companies and even their sales sucks. Z-CAM also made some cuts, always use delays and popular models not available on some markets. Main chip they use is not produced and hard to get.

    New rumor I got via Facebook private message tell that Z-CAM is actually affiliated with Chinese military and government (in total secret make another models for them) and this allowed them to get access directly to HiSilicon strategic reserves of chips.

    One thing where I could made error - I underestimated amount of reserves of such chips that Chinese government made due to the fact that many street and similar security cameras are based on this chip.

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