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.

2025 proved turbulent for downstream applications and end-user devices. Tariffs and geopolitical tensions dominated the first half, while AI gained momentum later in the year. Global market unpredictability pushed many brands—particularly in China, the epicenter of geopolitical tensions—toward domestic markets and self-sufficiency.

Global 5G penetration is expected to overtake 4G in 2027 to become the dominant network technology, according to the latest Mobility Report from Ericsson. In addition to this pivotal milestone in mobile communications, the report also points to the beginning of the standardization process for 6G, which is expected to reach 180 million users by 2031, with advanced markets such as the US, China, Japan, and South Korea leading the way in terms of adoption.

Despite support from major international sports events, the global display panel industry faces a cautious outlook in 2026, with shipment growth no longer assured. Market uncertainty among brand owners, coupled with rising upstream material costs, is eroding confidence and creating a subdued mood across the supply chain.

Market inventory destocking in the networking supply chain is nearing its end, with telecom operators significantly increasing restocking for network infrastructure since the second half of 2025. This positive trend is expected to continue into the first half of 2026, offering growth opportunities to Taiwanese network integrated circuit (IC) design firms such as Realtek, MediaTek, Airoha, and RichWave, according to multiple sources in the supply chain.

Taiwan Mobile's AI data center (AIDC) in Guishan in northern Taiwan is already fully leased after it officially began operations in the fourth quarter of 2025, according to the company's president, Jamie Lin. The company expects the AIDC to start contributing revenue from January 2026, with profitability achievable within its first year of operation.

Samsung Electronics recently launched its tri-fold smartphone, the Galaxy Z TriFold. Despite its high price point, the device continues to sell strongly worldwide. However, Samsung reportedly remains cautious about increasing production due to the device's extremely high costs, which leave the company with little to no profit margin.