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Friday 31 July 2026
Exclusive: Asian chipmakers' shift to US helium raises concentration risk
Chipmakers in Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan have avoided broad helium-related production disruptions so far, but their rapid shift toward US supply is creating a new concentration risk.
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Sunday 2 August 2026
MiniMax H3 pairs 2K video with native stereo audio in China's multimodal AI race
Chinese AI start-up MiniMax launched MiniMax H3 on July 31, expanding its position in multimodal generative AI as competition among China's model developers spreads beyond large language models into video, audio, and AI agents.
Sunday 2 August 2026
Xiaomi adds SkyNomad N90 and N70 with 370,000 deliveries still needed for 2026 target

Xiaomi has entered China's range-extended electric vehicle market with two large intelligent SUVs, expanding beyond battery-only models as it confronts slowing deliveries, renewed losses and intensifying competition from technology groups including Huawei and ByteDance.

Saturday 1 August 2026
Huawei's Kirin X90 Plus and XE90 power its lightest laptop and next foldable PC
Huawei has introduced two PC processors, the Kirin X90 Plus and Kirin XE90, alongside new HarmonyOS laptops designed to extend its in-house chip strategy across high-performance and ultra-light computing.
Saturday 1 August 2026
Chinese display makers move deeper into Korean cockpits as BOE wins Hyundai's flagship display program

Chinese display suppliers are expanding into South Korea's automotive supply chain as competition shifts beyond televisions and smartphones toward software-defined vehicles, where cockpit displays are becoming a defining part of the user experience.

Friday 31 July 2026
Exclusive Interview: Helium shock threatens advanced chipmaking as Asia shifts dependence to the US

As geopolitical tensions in the Middle East continue to intensify, shifting export conditions and a broader realignment of supply from Qatar to the United States are reshaping global access to one of semiconductor manufacturing's most fundamental materials: helium.

Friday 31 July 2026
ByteDance merges Lark with Doubao after AI revenue hits US$4B run rate
ByteDance is reorganising Doubao, Lark and Volcengine around a more unified enterprise AI strategy, combining product development, cloud commercialisation and workplace software as its large-model business reaches an annualised revenue run rate of US$4 billion.
Friday 31 July 2026
Rising smartphone prices are reshaping purchase plans in India
Rising smartphone prices in India are changing how consumers plan purchases, with wider implications for brands, retailers, and buyers worldwide. Counterpoint said many shoppers are willing to adjust budgets, delay upgrades, or seek financing as component and manufacturing costs push up device prices.
Friday 31 July 2026
Shanghai rises as China's lithography hub, powered by SMEE, Huawei and rising DUV rivals

China's lithography equipment sector has returned to the global semiconductor spotlight following reports that a domestically developed immersion deep ultraviolet (DUV) system has entered mass production.

Friday 31 July 2026
Kioxia begins sampling 1TB 3D flash memory for AI devices
Kioxia has begun shipping samples of 1TB triple-level cell memory devices built with its 9th-generation BiCS FLASH 3D flash memory technology. The move signals faster, lower-cost storage options for AI-enabled PCs and smartphones, while also underscoring broader supply-chain developments that may shape device performance for users worldwide.
Friday 31 July 2026
India's first telecom manufacturing zone to land in Madhya Pradesh

India has moved to build a major telecom manufacturing hub in Gwalior, a step that could reshape supply chains, investment flows, and technology production for global markets. The project aims to reduce import dependence, support exports, and build an integrated base for telecom hardware, research, and development.

Thursday 30 July 2026
Samsung signs five-year memory deals as chip shortage stretches to 2028
Samsung Electronics has signed five-year memory supply agreements with five leading global data center customers and is in the final stages of talks with five more, tying a growing share of its DRAM and NAND output to commitments that run years into the future.
Thursday 30 July 2026
South Korean chip exports increasingly flow to Taiwan for TSMC packaging amid rising AI demand

Growing demand for AI chips is sending a larger share of South Korea's semiconductor exports to Taiwan, where Korean-made high-bandwidth memory (HBM) moves into advanced packaging processes led by TSMC.

Thursday 30 July 2026
China's DUV shock: the secretive Aishengna rattles ASML with US$1B state backing

China's immersion DUV lithography programme has brought a little-known state-backed company into focus. Shanghai Aishengna Electronic Technology Group, founded in August 2023 with CNY7 billion (approx. US$1.03 billion) in registered capital, is reportedly coordinating limited production of domestically developed lithography systems.

Thursday 30 July 2026
South Korean suppliers win HBM4 tester orders from SK Hynix
South Korean test-equipment suppliers Digital Frontier and UniTest have secured four orders for HBM4 wafer testers from SK Hynix worth a combined KRW247.84 billion (approx. US$172 million) in 2026, expanding domestic vendors' role in a memory-testing segment where Japan's Advantest has long been an established supplier.
Thursday 30 July 2026
China's 28nm DUV lithography enters fab validation, reportedly guided by State Council-level experts
China's 28nm DUV lithography programme has entered a new phase after Shanghai Aishengna Electronic Technology delivered its first five immersion deep ultraviolet lithography systems.