Apple is expected to soon unveil a miniLED-backlit iPad Pro, and its miniLED supply chain is ready to expand shipments, having improved yield rates. In the semiconductor sector, supply for packaging tools has been extremely tight, with equipment vendors reluctant to expand production, wary of possibly a lurking bubble in the market. And MediaTek is keen to maintain its leadership in the 5G phone market segment. The IC vendor has stepped up purchases of BT substrates for use in its 5G mobile SoCs to make sure it has enough supply.
MediaTek has stepped up its purchases of BT substrates for use in its 5G mobile SoCs from suppliers including Unimicron Technology and Kinsus Interconnect Technology, as part of its efforts to expand presence in the 5G handset AP market, according to industry sources.
Tight capacity at foundry houses, coupled with shortages of some crucial components such as CMOS sensors, power management and driver ICs, could affect sales of individual handset brands in 2021, according to industry observers.
Chipmakers are set to roll out Wi-Fi 6E chip solutions in the second half of the year, bringing new business opportunities for IC test and certification labs including Sporton International.
The notebook market has been robust in recent months thanks to stay-at-home needs. Chromebook shipments are expected to rise sharply in 2021. Apart from Intel, some other chip vendors, such as MediaTek and Elan, are poised to see robust growths in reenues from the Chromebook segment. ODM Wistron saw its notebook shipments spiked 52% on year in first-quarter 2021. The smatphone market is also recovering, and Apple is expected to adopt teh more power-efficient LTPO backplane technology for OLED displays in the premium models of its next-generation iPhone lineup.
IC substrate makers in Apple's iPhone supply chain are aggressively bracing for production of BT-based AiP (antenna in package) substrates expecting a surge in demand for new iPhones in 2021, according to industry sources.
Apple reportedly will adopt LTPO (low-temperature polycrystalline oxide) backplane technology for OLED displays in its premium iPhones to be launched later in 2021, according to industry sources.
MediaTek and Qualcomm may be the dominant players in the 5G smartphone SoC sector, but Chinese phone vendors Oppo and Xiaomi are mounting a challenge by developing their own chips. Shortages plaguing the semidoncutor industry are sending firms scrambling for supply. NOR flash chipmakers say that more of their clients are now willing to strike long-term supply contracts. For backend firms, demand from MCU clients remains robust.
Oppo and Xiaomi will introduce their in-house-developed sub-6GHz 5G chip solutions between late 2021 and early 2022, joining fabless chipmaker Unisoc in competing against chip vendors such as Qualcomm and MediaTek, according to industry sources in Taiwan.
Vietnam has joined the CPTPP (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership) and RCEP (Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership), and has signed FTAs (free-trade agreements) with the EU and the UK. These deals have positioned Vietnam as a preferred location for manufacturers seeking to disperse their capacity deployments amid the US-China trade disputes.
Despite recent speculation about decreasing demand from Apple for semiconductor manufacturing services, the latest news from the supply chain has indicated TSMC will start shipping chips for the next-generation iPhones by the end of May ahead of schedule, with the foundry set to see major increases in output from its advanced processes. The Taiwanese foundry has also recently obtained rush orders from Qualcomm for making the US client's high-end 5G chips. For wireless connectivity, Digitimes recently interviewed Ignion CEO Carles Puente to learn more about the company's Virtual Antenna - a small off-the-shelf antenna booster that he says simplies the design of devices and shorten their time-to-market.
Fractus Antennas, formed by engineers who invented the technology allowing smartphone antennas to automatically switch between different bandwidth networks and launched mini-antennas for the Internet of Things (IoT) era, has recently rebranded itself as Ignion.
Smartphone-use lens module maker Largan Precision has warned that order pull-ins from its clients may turn weak in April due to insufficient supplies of sensors and other IC parts.
Taiwan's III-V semiconductor players including foundries Win Semiconductors and Advanced Wireless Semiconductor (AWSC), and IDM Transcom have all reported impressive sales results for March 2021, driven by a ramp-up in power amplifier (PA) and RF demand for smartphones and Wi-Fi 6 devices, according to industry sources.
TSMC and Qualcomm reportedly are moving to further cement their ties, with the pure-play foundry agreeing to fabricate a batch of rush orders of high-end 5G chips for the US chipmaker, according to industry sources.
TSMC will kick off volume shipments for Apple's next-generation iPhone processor dubbed A15 at the end of May ahead of schedule, according to industry sources.
HTC plans to launch new 5G smartphone models, AR/VR hardware products and related solutions in the second quarter of 2021 to stimulate sales, according to industry sources.
Handset vendors are expected to launch more foldable devices with AMOLED screens this year. Global shipments of flexible AMOLED panels for foldable devices are expected to reach 12 million units in 2021. In the handset market, where sales have been recovering, MediaTek stands a good chance of becoming the world's number-one vendor of mobile SoCs in 2021. In the semiconductor sector, backend firms expect demand for speciality DRAM to stay robust through third-quarter 2021.
Global shipments of flexible AMOLED panels for foldable smartphone applications are likely to reach over 12 million units in 2021, driven by new foldable devices launched by handset brands, according to industry sources.
Smartphone-use lens module maker Largan Precision has reported consolidated revenues of NT$4.011 billion (US$141 million) for March, increasing 24.84% sequentially but decreasing 26.33% on year.
MediaTek is likely to become the world's largest mobile chip supplier in 2021, bolstered by a ramp-up in shipments of its 4G and 5G SoC solutions, according to industry sources.
Taiwan-based IC test solutions provider Chunghwa Precision Test Tech (CHPT) has reportedly obtained nearly 100% of probe card orders for MediaTek's mid- and high-end 5G smartphone application processors.
Taiwan-based IC design houses, particularly those specializing in smartphone-use chip solutions, are expected to post impressive sales results for March 2021, thanks to robust demand from Android-based smartphone makers, according to industry sources.
Apply's supply chain has started production for next-generation AirPods. Backend service supplier ASE Technology is packaging and testing optical sensors for new AirPods expected to launch in third-quarter 2021. Amid serious shortages of chipmaking capacity, pure-play foundry house PSMC has broken ground for a new 12-inch fab in northern Taiwan. Semiconductor costs are rising, and makers must be eager to find out whether they are having the best prices. Digitimes recently talked to Lytica chairman Ken Bradley to find out how his Canada-based company's SaaS service helps clients make better deals when buying or selling components.
