Compal Communications, Arima Communications post mixed results for January

Newswatch - Feb 10, 12:16

ODM handset maker Compal Communications has posted strong revenue gains in January thanks to orders from Nokia, while fellow company Arima Communications saw its revenues decline in the month due to a lack of new products from clients, according to industry sources.

Nokia, Motorola and Sony likely to increase handset orders to Taiwan ODMs

Feb 10, 01:35

Nokia, Motorola Mobility and Sony Mobile Communications are expected to increase their outsourcing of handsets to Taiwan-based ODMs in 2012 in an effort to regain their global market share lost to Apple and Samsung Electronics, according to industry sources.

HTC to not release smartphone sales figures starting February

Feb 8, 15:17

Following the step of Samsung Electronics, HTC has decided to not release the sales figures of smartphones in its quarterly financial statement starting February 2012, according to the company.

MStar breaks into Nokia supply chain, says report

Newswatch - Feb 8, 14:55

IC design house MStar Semiconductor reportedly has entered the supply chain of Nokia with its 2G baseband chips, according to a Chinese-language Commercial Times report. Shipments are expected to kick off as early as mid-2012, said the report, without citing its sources.

Senao to expand retail chain in China

Feb 7, 11:58

Senao International, a Taiwan-based retail chain of handsets and other consumer electronics, has set up Wo Senao, a joint venture retail chain with China Unicom in the China market with plans to set up 1,000 stores in three years, according to company CEO Paul Lin.

Smartphones overtake client PCs in 2011, says Canalys

Feb 6, 16:56

Canalys has released its full, fourth-quarter 2011 country-level smartphone shipment estimates to clients, so completing the picture for the year. One notable result was that total annual global shipments of smartphones exceeded those of client PCs (including pads) for the first time.

Taiwan Mobile plans to set up retail network in China

Feb 4, 15:11

Taiwan Mobile (TWM), one of the three largest mobile telecom carriers in Taiwan, plans to extend its self-operated retail network in Taiwan myfone, into China, with 30-50 stores to be initially setup in eastern or southeastern coastal areas, according to company chairman Richard Tsai.

Smartphone and PC vendors to treat WP8 differently, say sources

Feb 4, 14:33

Although information indicates that Microsoft's next-generation handset platform, Windows Phone 8 (WP8), will support an array of technologies and functionalities, including dual-core CPUs, NFC, mobile wallet, external MicroSD cards, Skype and Skydrive, branded handset and PC vendors are likely to...

Commentary: Strong smartphone competition a blessing in disguise for feature phones

Feb 4, 10:45

The global market for feature phones has continued to dwindle recently, since most branded handset vendors have shifted their focuses to the development of smartphones on the back of strong demand. The shift of focus has resulted in an easing in competition in the feature phone segment, and therefore...

Nokia maintains largest global handset market share in 2011, says IDC

Feb 3, 01:20

Nokia sold 417.1 million feature phones and smartphones together to maintain the largest global handset market share of 27% in 2011, but dropping 5.6pp from 2010, according to International Data Corporation (IDC).

LG to increase purchases of handset parts and components from Taiwan, say sources

Feb 2, 15:50

Buoyed by strong sales of its high-end Optimus LTE smartphones, LG Electronics is expected to increase its purchases of handset parts and components from Taiwan makers in 2012, according to industry sources.

Handset keypad maker Ichia reports revenue declines for January

Newswatch - Feb 2, 15:34

Handset keypad and flexible PCB maker Ichia Technologies has posted consolidated revenues of NT$751.45 million (US$25.3 million) for January, down 44% on month and 3.8% on year, according to a company filing with the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TSE).

Apple to unveil iPhone 5 at WWDC in June, says paper

Newswatch - Feb 2, 12:24

Apple is expected to unveil its iPhone 5 smartphone at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) to be held in June 2012, the Chinese-language Commercial Times quoted Daiwa Securities as indicating.

Wireless displaces PC as top semiconductor spending area for OEMs in 2011, says IHS

Feb 2, 11:20

Propelled by the red-hot appeal of items like Apple's iPhone and iPad, the wireless communications sphere surpassed computers to lead all segments in semiconductor-related spending among the world's leading OEMs in 2011, according to IHS iSuppli.

LTE infrastructure spending booming, says IHS

Feb 1, 16:14

Global capital spending on LTE technology is projected to reach US$24.3 billion in 2013, nearly triple the US$8.7 billion of 2012, according to IHS iSuppli. LTE infrastructure spending in 2015 will rise to US$36.1 billion, compared to just US$9.0 billion for 3.5G.

China market: Chip demand for 2.5G/2.75G handsets falling

Feb 1, 12:24

Demand for 2.5G and 2.75G handset solutions is falling in China due to growth in the penetration rates for 3G and smartphones in the region, according to sources at white-box handset companies. Thanks to subsidies offered by local telecom carriers, sales of 3G models in China have grown substantially,...

Smartphone vendors to wait for 2Q launch to avert hot iPhone demand, say Taiwan makers

Jan 31, 01:00

With the iPhone 4S launched globally in the fourth quarter of 2011 and expected to be selling well in the first quarter of 2012, other international vendors including Samsung Electronics, HTC, Nokia and LG Electronics are expected to launch their new smartphone models in the second quarter to avoid...

Apple retakes smartphone lead in 4Q11; Samsung grabs top spot for full-year 2011, says IHS

Jan 30, 15:31

After losing market leadership in the third quarter, Apple returned to the number one rank in global smartphone shipments in the fourth quarter as consumers flocked to buy the newly introduced iPhone 4S. Meanwhile, based on strong sales of its broad line of smartphone products, Samsung has become the...

Wistron looks to 20% notebook shipment growth in 2012, says paper

Newswatch - Jan 30, 14:25

Wistron expects its shipments of notebooks, servers and hand-held devices to grow 20% on year in 2012, while LCD TV shipments will stay flat for the year, the Chinese-language Economic Daily News (EDN) quoted company chairman Simon Lin as saying.

Samsung posts record profit in 4Q11

Jan 30, 14:10

Booming smartphone sales made Samsung Electronics' latest quarter its most profitable quarter ever, according to the company.

VIA Telecom ships 18 million CDMA handset solutions in 2011, says paper

Newswatch - Jan 30, 14:00

VIA Telecom shipped 18 million units of CDMA chipset solutions in 2011, including 10 million units for entry-level CMDA handsets, the Chinese-language Commercial Times quoted company CEO Ker Zhang as saying.

Taiwan December export order value down slightly

Jan 20, 16:42

Taiwan received export orders worth US$36.31 billion in December 2011, decreasing 0.94% on month and 0.72% on year, according to statistics released by the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) on January 20.

Global NFC smartphone shipments to top 80 million units in 2012, says IMS Research

Jan 20, 01:25

Global shipments of NFC-enabled smartphones are expected to reach 80 million units in 2012, up from 35 million units shipped in 2011, according to data compiled by IMS Research.

China market: Top-3 telecom carriers promoting CNY1,000 smartphones

Jan 18, 13:37

While China Unicom has launched smartphones priced at CNY1,000 (US$158) recently, rival carriers China Telecom and China Mobile are also ready to enter the segment soon, according to industry sources.

China Telecom to procure 45 million 3G smartphones in 2012

Jan 18, 01:00

China Telecom, the only CDMA2000 mobile telecom carrier in China, will procure 45 million 3G smartphones, of which most will be for sale at CNY700-2,000 (US$111-316), in 2012, according to the company at its CDMA supply chain conference in Beijing on January 17.

China market: Chip vendor competition heating up for 1GHz processors used in inexpensive smartphones

Jan 17, 01:00

As China Mobile, China Telecom and China United Network Communications will procure large volumes of inexpensive smartphones equipped with 1GHz processors, there is increasing competition among handset chip vendors Qualcomm, Taiwan-based MedaTek, Broadcom and China-based Spreadtrum Communications,...

LTE smartphones to account for 4-5% global shipments in 2012

Jan 16, 11:47

With nearly 50 telecom carriers around the globe having launched LTE services, global shipments of LTE-enabled smartphones are expected to reach 25-30 million units in 2012, accounting for 4-5% of total handset shipments for the year, according to industry sources.

Smartphone vendors to limit new models

Jan 13, 01:15

Smartphone vendors including HTC, Research in Motion (RIM), Sony and Motorola Mobility all are likely to adjust their strategies by reducing the number of new models launched each year, while focusing their resources and marketing on designated models, according to industry sources in Taiwan.

Sony to focus on mid-range to high-end smartphones in 1H12

Jan 11, 16:47

Sony, after taking up a 100% stake in Sony Ericsson, has unveiled four Android-based smartphones at CES 2012 trade show, targeting mid-range and high-end segments, according to industry watchers.

Spreadtrum intros TD-LTE baseband modem for China market

Jan 11, 10:56

Spreadtrum Communications has introduced its first TD-LTE baseband modem, the SC9610. Designed with 40nm CMOS silicon, the SC9610 integrates multiple communication standards into a single-chip design, including multiband TD-LTE and TD-SCDMA and quad-band EDGE/GPRS/GSM.

GaAs IC market stagnant in 2011, says Information Network

Jan 11, 10:15

The market for GaAs ICs grew 1% in 2011 following a 36% in 2010, as a result of weak demand in wireless - cell phones and WiFi, according to The Information Network. This represents the smallest growth since a 1.7% gain in 2009.

Foxconn reports record high December revenues

Jan 11, 01:30

Foxconn Electronics (Hon Hai Precision Industry) reported unconsolidated December revenues of NT$316.944 billion (US$11 billion), a 3.17% increase on month and 29.53% increase on year. Accumulated revenues for 2011 reached NT$2.77 trillion, a 19.89% increase compared to 2010.

Commentary: Could automation solve labor issues for Foxconn?

Jan 10, 14:52

China has always given the impression of having a large and cheap labor force. But as the country's population structure and social values are starting to change, Foxconn Electronics (Hon Hai Precision Industry), which is known for its strict management, is also seeking ways to cope with the changes...

Taiwan market: FET to procure over 1.15 million smartphones in 2012

Jan 9, 16:25

Far EasTone Telecommunications (FET) will procure 1.57 million handsets of which 73-75% or 1.15-1.18 million units will be smartphones, according to the mobile carrier.

Digitimes Research: Taiwan handset shipments post 17% sequential decline in 4Q11

Jan 9, 15:09

Shipments of handsets by Taiwan makers totaled 20.29 million units in the fourth quarter of 2011, down 17.4% on quarter and 19.7% on year as smartphone shipments by HTC were affected by the launch of iPhone 4S and orders for feature phones from Motorola Mobility and Sony Ericsson showed a sequential...

HTC December revenues decrease

Jan 9, 10:31

Taiwan-based smartphone vendor HTC has reported consolidated revenues of NT$26.363 billion (US$870 million) for December 2011, dropping 14.80% on month and 20.32% on year.

Senao December revenues hit record

Jan 9, 10:25

Senao International, a handset and communication device retail chain as well as a sales agent for Chunghwa Telecom in Taiwan, saw its revenues of NT$3.011 billion (US$99.4 million) for December 2011 hit a monthly record, according to the company.

Samsung sees record operating profit in 4Q11

Jan 6, 15:55

Samsung Electronics has estimated its operating profits for the last quarter of 2011 at about KRW5.2 trillion (US$4.5 billion), up 22.4% on quarter and 73.3% on year. The figure is also likely to hit a new company record.

Synnex December revenues up on month

Jan 6, 11:55

Taiwan-based 3C distributor Synnex Technology International has reported consolidated revenues of NT$26.68 billion (US$882 million) for December 2011, increasing 2.6% on month but decreasing 1.0% on year.

Nokia to produce high-end Lumia 900 Mango phones in house, say sources

Jan 6, 01:30

Having outsourced the production of its Lumia 800 and 710 Mango phones to Compal Communications, Nokia apparently has decided to manufacture its upcoming high-end Lumia 900 smartphones in house, according to sources in the supply chain.

Taiwan market: Handset shipments to grow only 5% on year in 2012

Jan 5, 14:29

Handset sales, including both smartphone and feature phones, in the Taiwan market are expected to only grow slightly by 5% on year in 2012 due to the uncertainty over macro economic conditions, according to sources from channel retailers.

Taiwan market: TWM retail chain to sell 3C products

Jan 5, 10:35

Telecom carrier Taiwan Mobile (TWM) has announced the offering of 3C products including handsets, tablet PCs, PCs and digital cameras for sale at its local retail chain, myfone.

Taiwan market: Smartphones account for 55% of total handset sales in December

Jan 5, 09:45

Sales of smartphones in the Taiwan market totaled 450,000 units in December 2011, accounting for a 55% share of a total of 820,000 handsets sold in the month, according to data compiled by local channel operators.

HTC reducing IC orders, say sources

Jan 5, 09:41

IC orders placed by HTC with international IC players in the first quarter of 2012 will be over 20% lower than it ordered in the fourth quarter of 2011 due to a slowdown in demand for high-end smartphones globally, according to industry sources.

Compal Communication expects to ship 9.6 million handsets in 2012

Jan 5, 01:25

Compal Communication has announced revenues of NT$10.9 billion (US$359.65 million) for the fourth quarter of 2011 with its handset shipments in the quarter reached 1.5 million units. For the annual performance in 2011, Compal Communication achieved NT$18.3 billion in revenues with handset shipments...

HTC to unveil quad-core, LTE-enabled smartphones in MWC, says paper

Newswatch - Jan 4, 16:14

JPMorgan Chase has recently upgraded the stock of HTC to "overweight," expecting the vendor to unveil new high-end smartphones powered by Nvidia's quad-core Tegra 3 CPUs and Qualcomm's LTE-enabled MSM 8906 SoC solutions, respectively, in the upcoming Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2012, according...