Vivo has recently shown strong performance driven by robust sales of its X300 smartphone series. However, as the company looks to 2026, industry analysts warn that it will encounter substantial challenges from Huawei's resurgence in China, Xiaomi and Oppo's aggressive strategies, and the anticipated success of Apple's iPhone 17.
Eutelsat, the satellite operator backed by the French and British governments, announced this week that it has placed an additional order for 340 next-generation OneWeb satellites with Airbus Defence and Space. Combined with a previous order of 100 satellites placed in December 2024, the total procurement now stands at 440 low-Earth-orbit (LEO) satellites, with deliveries expected to begin in late 2026.
Despite supply-chain pressure and memory shortages, the global smartphone market remained resilient in 2025, supported by strong demand for high-end models, foldable devices, and early upgrade cycles driven by expectations of future price increases.
Despite significant jumps in memory costs threatening smartphone affordability, Oppo has chosen to enhance rather than downgrade its latest A6 mid- to low-end models. The company retained standard memory sizes while improving battery capacity, display quality, and other key features, aiming to boost value for consumers.
Realme, once an independent smartphone brand, will be reintegrated as a sub-brand under Oppo in a strategic move to enhance competitive positioning. This realignment will see Oppo managing three main brands: Oppo, Realme, and OnePlus, each targeting distinct market segments.
MediaTek has launched the Dimensity 9500s and Dimensity 8500 mobile processors, both carrying over key technologies from the company's flagship Dimensity platform. The new chips deliver upgrades in performance, power efficiency, AI processing, imaging, gaming, and connectivity, targeting the premium smartphone market.
The surge in artificial intelligence (AI) applications has pushed cloud service providers to increase capital expenditures on data centers, prompting major memory manufacturers to shift production towards high-margin, high-performance products such as HBM and DDR5. This strategic realignment has led to a sharp reduction in the supply of niche memory types, especially those used in network communication devices, exacerbating price hikes and supply shortages that are expected to impact Taiwanese vendors through the first half of 2026.
The ongoing memory supply shortage is impacting overall smartphone shipments, with no immediate resolution in sight. Market forecasts predict a decline in global smartphone demand in 2026 compared with 2025, with entry-level models expected to be hit the hardest. Industry players also anticipate a rise in the average selling price (ASP) of new smartphones in 2026, which is expected to create more favorable conditions for growth in the secondhand smartphone market.
Rising memory prices have pushed up smartphone bill of materials (BOM) costs, potentially affecting shipments for 2026. As the smartphone panel market enters its seasonal off-peak period, the effects of higher memory prices are beginning to surface. Pull-in momentum from end-device makers has slowed, leading to across-the-board declines in smartphone panel prices across different technology types.
The National Communications Commission (NCC) recently released its Communications Market Report, revealing that Taiwan's over-the-top (OTT) streaming service market has shown signs of decline after years of steady growth. The report highlights a sharp fall in the proportion of Taiwanese consumers paying for OTT subscriptions, dropping from 58.6% in 2024 to 45.4% in 2025, falling below the 50% threshold for the first time.
Taiwan's telecom market continued gradual growth in 2025 despite high penetration rates, with the top three operators—Chunghwa Telecom (CHT), Taiwan Mobile (TWM), and Far EasTone Telecommunications (FET)—all delivering better-than-expected financial results.
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