So “historic” has been the growth in consumer tech sales during the pandemic that the U.S. installed base of connected goods now numbers more than a billion computers and mobile and connected-TV devices, reported NPD Monday. It canvassed 5,000 U.S. adults Jan. 25-Feb. 11, finding ownership of TV-connected and mobile devices increased by 100 million units from a year earlier. The average U.S. internet home owned 9.5 installed and connected devices in February, up from 8.5 in February 2020. Stay at home orders "played a part in the tremendous growth we saw in TV-connected and mobile devices last year as consumers looked for new or different ways to consume content,” said analyst John Buffone. “This influx of newer hardware and the growing installed base will continue to facilitate the accelerated growth in free and subscription streaming video.”

Tracker sales grew 70% year on year in Q1, unit sales up 67%, reported NPD Friday. Sixty-three percent of smartphone owners say they're “somewhat” interested in buying a tracking device for lost things; 69% for iPhone users, 57% for Android. Apple’s AirTag announcement Tuesday and recent Samsung SmartTag releases could drive new buyers, said analyst Jill Aldort.

Consumers are “avoiding iPhone mini and SE,” preferring larger models, reported Consumer Intelligence Research Partners Thursday. Apple’s four iPhone 12 models were 61% of U.S. phone sales in Q1, while the iPhone 11 had the largest single-model share at 24%. The iPhone 12, 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max all had “decent share"; the priciest, the iPhone 12 Pro Max, had 20% of sales, said analyst Josh Lowitz. In the year-ago quarter, the comparable model, the iPhone 11 Pro Max, had 13%. The iPhone 12 mini and SE had the smallest shares of all models, both falling from the December quarter. CIRP surveyed 500 U.S. Apple customers who purchased an iPhone, iPad, Mac computer or Apple Watch in Q1.

The Amazon One biometric payment option, trialing in several Seattle-area Amazon-owned stores since September (see 2009290061), will be added to seven additional Whole Foods Market stores in Seattle over the coming months, blogged the company Wednesday. Seattle customers have been using the palm readers in Amazon’s Go, Go Grocery, Books, 4-star and Pop Up stores, with “thousands” signing up, said Dilip Kumar, vice president-physical retail and technology. The Amazon One device is protected by multiple security controls and doesn’t store palm images; instead, they’re encrypted and sent to a “highly secure area” in the cloud.

Apple showed off its newer chips amid moving some chipmaking away from more established semiconductor manufacturers. Its Tuesday launch event showed the first iMac and iPads to use Apple’s M1 chip, and its latest smartphones include 5G. CEO Tim Cook gave a sneak peek into the second season of Apple TV+ show Ted Lasso before handing off to Cindy Lin, director-program management, who unveiled the next Apple TV 4K ($179). The streaming media player has power “that smart TVs just don’t have," she said. It's based on the A12 Bionic chip, used in the latest iPhones, and brings a “massive upgrade” to a TV, said Lin. The latest Apple 4K TV steps up to high-frame-rate Dolby Vision HDR at 60 frames per second, making content look more lifelike, she said. Apple is working with Fox Sports, NBCUniversal, Paramount+, Red Bull TV and Canal+ as they begin to stream in high-frame-rate HDR, said the company. Videos shot on iPhone 12 Pro can be displayed in 60 fps Dolby Vision with AirPlay via the new streamer. A new color balance feature in Apple 4K TV works with an iPhone to improve TV picture quality, said Lin. The company also introduced Apple Podcasts Subscriptions. Pricing is set by creators.

Aging devices created healthy Q1 demand for smartphone upgrades, which, combined with a 5G push by Chinese vendors, drove a 24% shipment increase year on year, reported Strategy Analytics Monday. Top-five vendors took 76% share vs. 71% a year ago. Chip shortages and supply side constraints didn’t have an impact in Q1 among the top five brands but will be a concern for smaller vendors over the next few quarters, said analyst Linda Sui. Samsung shipped 77 million phones, up 32% on sales of affordable A series 4G and 5G phones and the flagship S21 series, it said. Apple shipped 57 million units, No. 2 with 17% share. No. 3. Xiaomi shipped 49 million, 15% share.

IFA 2021 is planning a “full-scale and real-life return” Sept. 3-7 to the Messe Berlin exhibition halls and fairgrounds, after its “deliberately small-scale” physical-virtual hybrid version in 2020, said promoters Thursday. “With all our precautions to ensure everybody’s good health, we don’t expect IFA Berlin 2021 to set new records," said IFA Executive Director Jens Heithecker.

Sony included a variable telephoto lens paired with a dual pixel diode sensor in its latest flagship series 5G Xperia phones. The Xperia 1 III and Xperia 5 III, due in the U.S. this summer, have 70mm and 105mm focal lengths in the same periscope camera, Sony said Wednesday.

Global semiconductor revenue grew 10.4% in 2020 to $466.2 billion, reported Gartner Monday. “Memory, GPUs and 5G chipsets led semiconductor growth, driven by hyperscale, PC, ultramobile and 5G handset end-market demand,” said analyst Andrew Norwood. “Automotive and industrial electronics suffered due to lower spending or a pause in spending owing to COVID-19.” Intel remained the world’s top semiconductor vendor by revenue with a 15.6% share; Samsung had 12.4% and SK hynix was a distant third at 5.5%, said Gartner.

Face masks will be required at all times at CEDIA Expo 2021, said a health and safety plan sent Monday to prospective CEDIA attendees by show owner Emerald Holding. Conferences are to begin Aug. 31, and the Expo is scheduled for Sept. 1-3 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis. Emerald, whose 2020 revenue plummeted 65% to $127.4 million due to the pandemic, is taking “extra precautions, beyond those mandated by government and local authorities, including temperature checks and face masks required of all persons entering the building, without exception,” it said. Daily temperature screens will be done as attendees enter the facility; anyone with a “high temperature” won’t be admitted, it said. Attendees will have to acknowledge and accept terms and conditions before entering the event, certifying they aren’t sick and don’t have signs or symptoms of COVID-19. They have to “make every effort to maintain" the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's hygiene guidelines, Emerald said: “CEDIA Expo has a no-contact policy in place.” The physical structure of the show was designed to allow social distancing and one-way entrances and exits, Emerald said. Attendees also agree to release Emerald and its affiliates from "all risks, claims, damages, losses, costs and expenses ... associated with, resulting from or arising in connection with my participation or presence at the CEDIA Expo event."