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Thursday 24 July 2025
China-Taiwan trade heating up amid US tariffs saga
Business exchanges between Chinese and Taiwanese makers have shown significant increases amid concerns over US tariffs, trade restrictions, and global supply chain restructuring, with China and Hong Kong together remaining the biggest market for Taiwan's exports.
Monday 21 July 2025
Weekly news roundup: Nvidia partners with Micron, Huawei's 'Little HiSilicon' launches, GB300 production begins
Below are the top DIGITIMES Asia stories from July 14 to 20, 2025. The top three topics include Nvidia teams up with Micron for a major SOCAMM rollout, aiming to challenge high-bandwidth memory. Moreover, Nvidia begins limited GB300 AI server production. For China's semiconductor sector, Huawei's "Little HiSilicon" launches a wide range of chips, including its first RISC-V models.
Monday 21 July 2025
Corning dodges EU antitrust clash with 'Gorilla Glass' deal
Corning Inc. has avoided the threat of European Union antitrust fines, after it agreed to end exclusivity terms in its supply contracts for break-resistant smartphone screens that the watchdog deemed to be anticompetitive.
Friday 18 July 2025
China subsidies losing steam in attempt to rescue flopping smartphone market
It was previously expected that China's consumer subsidies would offset the smartphone demand decline in the US caused by the reciprocal tariffs. However, the actual subsidy impact remains rather limited. Extended replacement cycles and cooling economic conditions have caused global smartphone demand to weaken.
Thursday 17 July 2025
What killed China's rising 5G chip hopeful? The untold collapse of Jian Wen Lu Semiconductor

Founded in 2016 by former Tokyo Seimitsu (Accretech) engineer Sheng Jinghao, Jian Wen Lu (Zhejiang) Semiconductor was once considered a standout contender in China's push for 5G RF chip independence. Its mission: to bypass foreign patent restrictions and develop high-frequency filters, long viewed as a chokepoint in RF front-end design.

Tuesday 15 July 2025
Apple iPhone sparks maturity and confidence in foldable market
South Korean giant Samsung Electronics recently unveiled its latest generation of foldable smartphones, including the Galaxy Z Fold 7, Galaxy Z Flip 7, and the more affordable Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE, further expanding its product lineup. Coinciding with this, smartphone brand Vivo also launched its foldable flagship Vivo X Fold5 for the first time in Taiwan. Vivo has risen to become the third-largest player in the Taiwanese market, surpassing Oppo and trailing only Apple and Samsung.
Tuesday 15 July 2025
Samsung Display reportedly secures exclusive OLED deals for Apple's first foldable iPhone
Samsung Display is reportedly gearing up to become the exclusive supplier of OLED panels for Apple's first foldable iPhone, signaling a deepening partnership between two of the biggest names in tech.
Monday 14 July 2025
Smartphone brands expand AI adoption to mid-to-high-end models to boost sales in 2H25
As the third quarter of 2025 kicks off, smartphone brands around the world are rolling out new models, hoping to rejuvenate the sluggish market as inflation, currency swings, and trade tensions continue to weigh on consumer demand. While the smartphone market continues to face challenges like product maturity, high market penetration, and extended replacement cycles, making it difficult to achieve strong overall sales momentum, it's fortunate that generative AI has boosted the industry in recent years. Brands have progressively incorporated AI functionalities into their mid- and high-end models, which has helped sustain smartphone sales.
Monday 14 July 2025
MediaTek posts 33-month revenue high in June, meets 2Q25 financial target
MediaTek posted a 33-month revenue high of NT$56.43 billion (approx. US$1.92 billion) in June 2025, up 24.91% from the previous month and 30.96% year over year. Overall revenue in the first half of 2025 totaled NT$303.68 billion, a 16.47% increase from the same period last year.
Saturday 12 July 2025
Chipmakers bet on premium smartphones to weather 2H25 headwinds
Despite a generally negative outlook for the second half of the year, Largan, a key market indicator, stressed during its earnings call that the demand momentum for new flagship smartphones remains largely unchanged compared to previous years.
Friday 11 July 2025
Apple plans new MacBook Pro, iPhone 17e and iPads by early 2026
Apple Inc. is planning an ambitious pipeline of new products for release during the first half of 2026, including a new low-end iPhone, multiple iPads and upgraded Macs.
Friday 11 July 2025
Largan expects large variable aperture project opportunities in 2026
Taiwan-based lens manufacturer Largan Precision held an online earnings call on July 10, during which it explained that exchange rate fluctuations had a significant impact on the company in the second quarter of 2025. The company previously predicted that the New Taiwan dollar would appreciate by 10%, affecting the second-quarter gross margin by 4-5%. However, pull-ins for new devices had already begun at favorable pricing, resulting in an actual impact of around 2%.
Friday 11 July 2025
Apple's foldable smartphone expected in 2026 as China's hinge and display suppliers gear up
Global foldable smartphone shipments rose only 9% year-over-year in the first quarter of 2025, a steep decline from the triple-digit growth seen in earlier years, according to Counterpoint Research. Now entering its sixth year of commercialization, the segment is losing steam, largely due to Apple's continued absence from the market.
Friday 11 July 2025
Qualcomm losing presence in Chinese flagship phones with MediaTek catching up

In a surprising change within the smartphone industry, MediaTek, long seen as the second largest chipmaker in the high-end sector, is gaining ground against American semiconductor giant Qualcomm in China's premium smartphone segment.

Thursday 10 July 2025
Taiwan suppliers eye foldable smartphone growth, face barriers in South Korea
Taiwanese component suppliers are ramping up efforts to enter the growing foldable smartphone market, but penetrating South Korea's highly integrated supply chain remains a major challenge. Samsung Electronics unveiled its latest Galaxy Z foldable series on July 10, 2025, emphasizing slimmer, lighter designs—a trend seen as critical in the next phase of smartphone innovation.
Thursday 10 July 2025
Vivo debuts flagship X Fold 5 in Taiwan, targeting high-loyalty users for 'large folds'
On July 9, Vivo officially launched its first foldable smartphone, the X Fold 5, in Taiwan, marking a strategic move to tap into the premium device market, strengthen brand value, and challenge Samsung's dominance in the foldable segment.
Thursday 10 July 2025
Foldable smartphone market awaits Apple's entry as growth stalls
Samsung Electronics and Vivo's recent foldable smartphone launches have rekindled interest in a segment that had lost momentum. Yet supply chain executives view these 2025 releases as mere warm-ups before Apple's anticipated 2026 debut in the foldable sector, which they expect will trigger genuine market competition.
Wednesday 9 July 2025
GSEO expects 2H25 orders to outpace 2H24
Taiwanese lens maker Genius Electronic Optical (GSEO) announced its latest financial report on July 8 and expects revenue in the third quarter will grow compared with the second quarter, as it moves into the peak season in July.
Sunday 6 July 2025
From behind the curve: Apple and Xiaomi chase long-dominated 5G modem self-reliance
Apple and Xiaomi are doubling down on efforts to develop in-house 5G baseband chips, joining a race long dominated by tech heavyweights like Qualcomm and MediaTek. Both companies signaled their ambitions in 2025 to break away from reliance on third-party modem suppliers and take fuller control of their mobile silicon strategies.
Wednesday 2 July 2025
Production for iPhone 17 OLED begins; Korean display manufacturers cautious with orders due to Trump storm

South Korea's leading display manufacturers have officially begun production of OLED panels for Apple's upcoming iPhone 17, according to industry sources. While Samsung Display (SDC) and LG Display (LGD) have secured the initial batch of orders, the total volume appears to be lower than that for the iPhone 16, reflecting geopolitical and economic uncertainties.

Wednesday 2 July 2025
Huawei bid to dismiss US trade sanctions case rejected by judge
Huawei Technologies Co. must face a criminal trial next year in New York after a federal judge refused a request by the Chinese wireless equipment maker to dismiss more than a dozen charges, including racketeering, trade secret theft, and violating US sanctions on Iran.
Wednesday 2 July 2025
Apple starts early prototyping of foldable iPhone, eyes 2026 launch

Apple has quietly entered the early stages of developing its long-rumored foldable iPhone, with supply chain sources confirming that the company began its initial P1 (Prototype 1) phase in June. If everything stays on track, the device could complete prototype testing by the end of 2025 and proceed to the Engineering Verification Test (EVT) stage, setting the stage for a possible launch in the second half of 2026.

Tuesday 1 July 2025
Sharp to divest smartphone camera module business to Foxconn subsidiary for JPY2.4 billion
Sharp announced on June 30 that it will sell its smartphone camera module business, including SAIGON STEC CO., LTD. (SSTEC), to Fullertain Information Technologies Ltd. – B.V.I., a subsidiary of its parent company, Foxconn. The deal is valued at approximately JPY2.4 billion (approx. US$16.6 million) and encompasses the transfer of SSTEC's shares and fixed assets.
Monday 30 June 2025
GMI aims for full-year revenue growth in 2025, fueled by AI and automotive projects
Facing external challenges such as US tariffs, exchange rates, and interest rates, IC distributor GMI stated that despite numerous market uncertainties, it expects its operational performance in the second half of 2025 to be on par with the first half. The company is striving for full-year revenue growth, particularly targeting double-digit increases in new projects within the AI servers and automotive markets.
Friday 27 June 2025
Q3 outlook: smartphone industry weighs tariff risks against product launch momentum
As the calendar turns to the third quarter of 2025, the global smartphone industry finds itself at a critical juncture, shaped by a complex mix of geopolitical tensions, tariff uncertainty, and currency volatility. These macroeconomic headwinds continue to weigh on consumer sentiment, making a strong recovery in end-market demand increasingly difficult. Industry analysts are warning of rising operating costs and mounting challenges for smartphone vendors in the second half of the year.