Apple's iPhone 17 series has driven a notable recovery in China, pushing the company's market share back above 20% and lifting monthly shipments beyond 6 million units in November 2025, according to industry estimates. The rebound marks Apple's strongest performance in the market in recent years after a period of declining share amid intense competition from domestic smartphone brands.
These are the most-read DIGITIMES Asia stories in the week of Dec 29 - Jan 4.
South Korea's leading telecom operator SK Telecom (SKT) has introduced A.X K1, a 500-billion-parameter AI model developed under a national AI initiative to establish a foundational platform for the country, highlighting SKT's efforts to align AI technology with national strategy and industrial applications.
Asus announced on January 2, 2026, that it will not release any new smartphones this year, effectively suspending a mobile business the Taiwanese hardware giant has sustained for more than 20 years without ever achieving profitability.
As AI server and semiconductor companies look set to close out a profitable 2025, recent Chinese military encirclement exercises and live-fire drills around Taiwan have once again highlighted the island's geopolitical tensions. US President Donald Trump has stated that China doesn't want to invade Taiwan.
Asustek Computer has confirmed it will not launch any new smartphones in 2026, effectively scaling back its mobile device business. At the same time, the company emphasized that after-sales support, maintenance, software updates, and warranty services will continue as normal. The move comes amid intensifying global competition and supply chain challenges, with the company redirecting efforts toward emerging products like drones and smart glasses.
Smartphone distributors in Taiwan have recently said they are no longer able to obtain Asus handsets through local agents and claimed they had received information indicating that Asus's smartphone unit would operate only through December 31, 2025, after which the company would stop launching new smartphone products.
Taiwanese networking companies are broadly optimistic about returning to growth in 2026 as an AI-driven expansion moves beyond chips and servers into network transmission layers, and Wi‑Fi 7 device penetration is expected to rise significantly. The outlook reflects rising demand for higher-capacity switches and consumer broadband upgrades.
Chunghwa Telecom (CHT) announced on December 31, 2025, that its CHT Trust Root CA has completed a six-month systematic overhaul and top-level comprehensive review, achieving an organizational performance and compliance governance upgrade. The enhanced measures have received third-party validation and successfully passed the international WebTrust for Certification Authorities (WebTrust for CA) independent audit. The audit report has also been recognized by browser vendors, leading to CHT's formal application on December 29, 2025, to join Google Chrome's default root certificate trust list.
Taiwan's smartphone market shipped around 5 million units in 2025, remaining stable despite factors like high market penetration, longer replacement cycles, and inflation, according to Senao International. Leading brands Apple, Samsung, Oppo, and Vivo each reported operational gains amid evolving consumer preferences.
Under ongoing geopolitical risks and rising tariff barriers, Foxconn Technology Group's smartphone assembler FIH Mobile plans to shift part of its new product introduction (NPI) operations from China to Vietnam starting in 2026, sources say. This move marks a significant step as the industry adapts to heightened supply chain resilience demands amid US-China tech tensions.
More coverage
