Amid surging demand from artificial intelligence (AI) servers and high-end personal computers, prices of DRAM and LPDDR5 memory have soared, placing heavy cost pressures on budget smartphone makers worldwide. South Korean industry insiders warn that the "low-price strategy" that once fueled rapid expansion in the smartphone market may be losing its effectiveness.
National Development Council (NDC) minister Chun-Hsien Yeh has pointed out that shifting global geopolitical risks are disrupting supply chains. To adapt, Taiwan aims to seize the AI trend by advancing its "five trusted industries" that are closely linked with AI development. The government's strategy includes promoting 10 major AI infrastructure projects to generate over NT$15 trillion (US$462 billion) in output value, driving nationwide industrial upgrades through AI commercialization and integration toward becoming a smart nation.
Samsung Electronics has announced its 2026 senior executive promotions, marking a sharp departure from its five-year pattern of steadily reducing the number of high-level advancements. The company increased its total senior promotions to 161, up from 137 in the previous year, drawing widespread industry attention and signaling a strategic shift toward bolstering leadership in future growth sectors, according to ET News and Chosun Biz.
Huawei introduced its latest flagship lineup on the 25th, launching the Mate 80 series together with the Mate X7 foldable.
Samsung Electronics has reportedly launched mass production of its latest mobile application processor, the Exynos 2600, sparking increased activity across South Korea's semiconductor ecosystem. Local test and assembly firms, including Doosan Tesna and Hana Micron, have begun increasing utilization rates in response to the new production phase.
Taiwan's smartphone shipments surged to nearly 560,000 units in October 2025, driven primarily by strong sales of Apple's iPhone 17 series, according to local channel operators. The figure represents a 17% increase from the previous month, marking a recent high for the market.
Apple has confirmed a restructuring of its global sales organization after eliminating dozens of roles, marking a rare round of layoffs for the company. The changes come as Apple faces heightened scrutiny over its leadership future, with reports stating that CEO Tim Cook may step down next year.
TP-Link has spent years trying to downplay its Chinese roots, but Washington remains sceptical. Bloomberg reports that the company's new Vietnam campus is being built by China State Construction Engineering Corp. (CSCEC), a state-owned contractor the US Department of Defense identifies as a Chinese military-linked enterprise. Hunan provincial officials have also listed the project as a key annual investment, heightening sensitivities as the US considers blocking TP-Link products from the American market.
Fujifilm will build a semiconductor materials plant in India for regional exports; Ziroh Labs promotes CPU-first AI compute; India approves 17 ECMS projects worth US$810 million to expand component manufacturing.
Chunghwa Telecom (CHT), Japan's Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (NTT), Taiwan-based Accton, and its subsidiary Edgecore Networks jointly showcased their first collaborative achievement: distributed AI data-center technology, on November 20 at the NTT R&D Forum 2025 in Tokyo.
During Genius Electric Optical's (GSEO's) online investor conference on November 19, 2025, chairman Jones Chen reported that demand in the smart glasses market is strong. He stated that development of variable-aperture smartphone lenses is progressing smoothly, and the company is aiming for customer certification in 2026. Driven by smartphone lenses, AR, and VR, Chen hopes 2026 revenue and profit will outperform 2025.
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