Eyewear manufacturer EssilorLuxottica reported better-than-expected revenue growth in its second quarter of 2025, led by strong demand in Europe and a sharp rise in smart glasses sales. The company recorded total revenue of EUR7.18 billion (approx. US$8.31 billion), a 7.3% increase year-over-year on a constant currency basis, surpassing analyst forecasts of 5.9% growth, according to Bloomberg, Reuters, and CNBC.

Apple will announce its second-quarter financial results on July 31. The market currently holds a relatively optimistic view of its performance this year. Factors such as positive exchange rates, increased Mac and iPad shipments, and strong growth momentum in Apple's services revenue have led to upward revisions of its third-quarter performance forecasts.

Apple's official China website shows that the last operating day for its Parkland Mall store in Dalian is August 9, 2025. This marks the closure of Apple's first directly managed store in China.

The man who once crushed AMD's dreams in China now works for them. Ian Yang, Intel China's former president dubbed the "AMD killer" for his ruthless campaign against the rival chipmaker, has made one of the semiconductor industry's most shocking career pivots — joining AMD as a senior executive.

While Taiwanese EMS firms aggressively capitalize on booming AI server demand, their Chinese counterparts are exploring alternative growth engines amid continued weakness in the consumer electronics market. Increasingly, Chinese EMS companies are turning their attention to long-term investments in emerging sectors such as smart glasses and robotics.

Below are the top DIGITIMES Asia stories from July 21 to 27, 2025. The top three topics include MediaTek winning Meta's order for 2nm ASIC; Asus, Microsoft revive Xbox hardware with ROG handheld launch; and YMTC plans to pilot a fully China-made NAND line in 2025.

Meta Platforms Inc. is reportedly reviving its smartwatch project, potentially with a camera lens, timed with its Meta Connect conference on September 17-18 in the US. The smartwatch is expected to complement Meta's upcoming AI glasses. China's Huaqin is said to be the primary manufacturer, while Taiwanese companies are not significantly involved.

Acer Taiwan defied a broader PC market downturn in the first half of 2025, as currency headwinds and tariff risks weighed on consumer demand. COO Chang Shih-hsin said the company remains optimistic about the second half, citing strong commercial-sector momentum as the key driver.

Asus is doubling down on gaming handhelds through a partnership with Microsoft, with plans to launch the ROG Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X in November and December 2025. Targeting the peak holiday season, Asus has set an initial shipment goal of 400,000 units. Priced between NT$20,000 and NT$29,000 (approx. US$680–990), the new models will be more expensive than the existing ROG Ally.

Samsung Electronics' Visual Display (VD) division, responsible for Samsung's TV business, has been experiencing internal disorder since May 2025, a negative byproduct of its workplace and organizational restructuring.

Qualcomm Technologies showcased its latest spatial computing innovations during the Snapdragon for India – XR Day event held on July 21, 2025, in New Delhi, reaffirming its confidence in smart glasses as the next major consumer tech platform. With a focus on India's tech-savvy population and booming 5G ecosystem, Qualcomm aims to lead the XR revolution in the region.

MediaTek and Nvidia have postponed the launch of their highly anticipated AI PC platform to the first quarter of 2026, supply chain sources say, citing a combination of delays in Microsoft's operating system roadmap, ongoing chip revisions at Nvidia, and weakening demand in the overall notebook market.

On August 15, HTC Corp. released a teaser image on the global HTC VIVE official community platform, hinting at the launch of a new product. The company is expected to unveil its first smart glasses during an event scheduled for August 14.

Trans-Sun Materials Technology, a Taiwan-based electronic functional materials manufacturer, posted June revenue of NT$116 million (approx. US$3.98 million), up 4.64% from May but down 2.95% year-over-year.

Apple named Indian Sabih Khan as the new COO as the firm accelerates sourcing components from India.

xMEMS, a US-based supplier specializing in monocrystalline silicon microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) air pumps, has announced plans to expand its μCooling micro air-cooled active cooling chip into the extended reality (XR) smart glasses market. The company aims to start mass production of this technology in the first quarter of 2026.

The advent of the personal computer (PC) provided an opportunity for Taiwan's manufacturing services to further evolve.

Samsung Electronics announced that its new Galaxy Z series foldable smartphones and Galaxy Watch 8 series smartwatches will be available for sale starting July 25, 2025. The company has begun a pre-order campaign in Taiwan to accelerate sales, especially targeting the 12GB+512GB foldable model.

Apple, having yet to launch its promised AI-enhanced Siri voice assistant, now confronts an escalating exodus of its artificial intelligence experts. Key personnel, including Ruoming Pang, head of Apple's Foundation Models team, are reportedly leaving for competitors like Meta Platforms, raising concerns about Apple's future in AI innovation.

Harman, a subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co. specializing in audio and automotive electronics, has agreed to pay a US$1.45 million settlement for violating US sanctions on Iran. The penalty follows an investigation by the US Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).

OpenAI has officially merged with io Products, Inc., a hardware-focused startup founded by former Apple designer Jony Ive. The move formalizes a two-year collaboration that began between Ive, his creative collective LoveFrom, and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.

The free trade agreement (FTA) between the US and South Korea has now become irrelevant under Donald Trump's administration. Taiwan's tech products also face the possibility of losing the ITA and ITA 2 tariffs-free benefits granted under the WTO framework. Trump's tariff threat can be understood as a step to force Seoul to share the cost of stationing US troops in South Korea. But what does Trump want from Taiwan in the tariffs game? TSMC is already constructing wafer fabs and an R&D center in the US. Does Trump want AI server makers to set up assembly lines in the US, and for the Taiwan currency to sharply appreciate against the greenback?

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.

Apple Inc. is planning to introduce its first upgrade to the $3,499 Vision Pro headset as early as this year, aiming to improve the performance and comfort of a device that has been slow to catch on with consumers.