China's mobile solution provider HiSilicon Technologies is expected to see its shipments of application processors continue to grow in 2019 with its chips powering nearly 70% of handsets shipped by its parent company Huawei in the year, according to Digitimes Research.HiSilicon is able to ramp up its AP shipments as Huawei has been using more of its chips to power its high-end smartphones, while also raising the ratio of chips from HiSilicon for its entry-level to mid-range models - a segment where Huawei is expected to see its shipments decrease 5% on year in the second half of 2019, Digitimes Research estimates.Overall, HiSilicon's AP shipments will account for 20% of total handset AP demand in China in 2019, excluding those used by Samsung Electronics.HiSilicon launched Kirin 990 5G, its first 5G SoC, in September featuring a neural-network processing unit (NPU), and it is expected to continue releasing NPU-focused 5G SoCs as a means to significantly ramp up its AP shipments in the first half of 2020.However, its AP shipments in 2020 could be impacted by the US-China trade dispute, which may dent consumer acceptance of Huawei's new handsets without the support of GMS (Google Mobile Services), undermine its ability to secure supply of key components, and hinder the use of new Arm architectures.

SSD prices have been falling fast in China. Consumers may be happy, but vendors are wary of a looming price war that would further undermine their profitability from the SSD market. But in the motherboard market, makers may see ASP improve in the fourth quarter, thanks to Intel and AMD releasing new platforms. For major Taiwan-based ODMs, they have to look beyond consumer electronics for business growth. The smart healthcare sector is promising.SSD prices continue fall in China: SSD prices have been falling in China, with prices for 128GB SSDs having dropped over 10% in the last two months, according to sources at memory module makers.Taiwan mobo makers to see ASP improvement: With Intel lowering prices for its high-end desktop Cascade Lake-X series processors and AMD set to roll out its next-generation top-end Threadripper series processors and Ryzen 9 3950X, Taiwan-based motherboard makers are expected to see their ASPs improve in the fourth quarter of 2019, according to industry sources.Taiwan ODMs deepening deployments in smart healthcare: Major Taiwan-based ODMs including Compal Electronics, Quanta Computer and Wistron have stepped up their deployments in healthcare aiming to leverage AI and big data technologies to tap the lucrative medical electronics business, according to industry sources.

The US trade ban may have affected Huawei's business, but it is apparently fueling the Chinese vendor's bid to wean itself off reliance on US technology. Its handset IC design arm, HiSilicon, is accelerating its chip development, and reportedly has become the top client of TSMC for its advanced manufacturing node. Fellow IC design house, Unisoc, under China's Tsinghua Unigroup, has also stepped up its deployments, seeking new investments to support its 5G and IoT chips development. HiSilicon now top TSMC customer for advanced process node: Huawei's HiSilicon has unseated Apple as the largest customer of TSMC in terms of advanced process node capacity share, according to industry sources.Unisoc set to raise new funds to support 5G, IoT chips development: Tsinghua Unigroup's chipmaking arm Unisoc will enforce a capital increment of CNY5 billion (US$707.44 million) to support its development of core 5G and IoT chipsets, according to a statement posted by China Beijing Equity Exchange.

Own-brand electric scooter maker Gogoro has launched GoShare services for sharing e-scooters on a rental basis in Taipei, according to GoShare director Henry Chiang.Gogoro started GoShare operation in Taoyuan, northern Taiwan, on August 29, 2019 and, as of October 20, cumulatively registered over 100,000 users with cumulative running distance of 550,000km, equivalent to carbon reductions by 450,000kg, Chiang noted.Gogoro uses 125cc Gogoro 2 e-scooters for GoShare services in Taoyuan but uses Gogoro Viva, a model featuring much less weight, in Taipei, Chiang indicated. This is because public transportation takes up about 15% of all intra-city trips in Taoyuan but the percentage in Taipei is 42.8% and therefore, rental e-scooters provided in the former are for long-distance ride while those in the latter are for short-distance last-mile connection between homes or working places and subway stations or bus stops, Chiang explained.Gogoro will deploy 1,000 Gogoro Viva e-scooters in selected areas in Taipei in three days and increase the number to 3,000 by the end of 2019, Chiang said.Along with continued accumulation of GoShare operating data, Gogoro collects and analyze data concerning riding time, origins and destinations of trips and running distances, and will use the analysis to derive GoShare operating models in different areas as reference for optimizing services and developing next-generation rental e-scooters, Chiang noted.Gogoro Viva for GoShare services in Taipei Photo: Michael Lee, Digitimes, October 2019

Notebook vendors are introducing new features and form factors trying to inject new momentum into the mature PC market. Apple is said to be introducing a new ultra-thin-bezel notebook with a 16-inch display fitted into a taditional 15-inch device later this year. TSMC may see record revenues for 2019, but pofits may slip compared to last year's. But TSMC's profitability may return to a growth track in 2020, thanks to strong demand from the 5G sector.Demand for 16-inch notebooks to rise: Notebooks with 16-inch ultra-thin bezel displays are expected to become a new trend among vendors in the next few years, following the upcoming release of Apple's new notebook, according to sources from the supply chain.TSMC to see profits surge in 2020-21: TSMC is expected to enjoy significant profit increases in 2020 and 2021, after posting its first annual decrease in eight years this year, according to industry observers.

Taiwan startup Zhi He Technology has developed AI-based AOI (automated optical inspection) equipment that detects defects at diamond grinding wheels aiming to help boost wafer thinning efficiency.Zhi He is one of a few startups tapping into the miniature flawed images detection recognition for the semiconductor industry. Printed circuit board and display panel sectors now command 64% and 15% of AOI applications market, with the remaining 21% for semiconductor, solar cell and healthcare sectors.Utilizing AI to detect defective diamond grinding tools for wafer thinning process will become a new lucrative service segment for AOI application, a company engineer said, adding that the detection used to be done with human eyes.The engineer stressed that AI-based detection can help boost diamond grinding efficiency and quality and raise yield rates for wafer thinning. The company will incorporate AI technology into more automated equipment including robotic arms.Zhi He's AI AOI can also detect the surface curvature and smoothness of contact lens molds.

The commercialization of 5G is injecting momentum into the serve industry. Taiwan-based ODM Quanta Computer expects impressive results for its server lines next year, with shipments to telecom carriers in Europe and the US to start in second-half 2020. The ODM also has ambitious plans for he self-driving car market. It has already developed its own self-driving car and tested it in the US. For TSMC, 5G is definitely its growth driver. Now the foundry's CEO has disclosed that it has raised the forecast for 5G smatphone penetration in 2020.Quanta expects 5G deployments to bear fruit in 2020: Quanta Computer has started shipping 5G x86 servers to Japan's Rakuten, and is in talks with a number of Europe- and US-based telecom carriers for shipments slated to kick off in the second half of 2020, according to company senior vice president Mike Yang.Quanta tests in-house developed self-driving vehicle in US: Quanta Computer has developed its first autonomous vehicle, and tested in recently in the US, according to company senior vice president Mike Yang.TSMC raises forecast for 5G phone penetration for 2020: TSMC CEO CC Wei has disclosed the foundry's more optimism about chip demand for 5G smartphones in 2020, and its forecast of the 5G smartphone penetration rate next year has already been revised upward to 15% from its previous single-digit estimate made six months ago.

Appier, a Taiwan-based start-up business developing AI-based solutions for precision marketing, has acquired a 100% stake in Japan-based Emotion Intelligence (Emin) AI startup, according to Appier co-founder and CEO Yu Chih-han.The acquisition is motivated by Emin's AI-based solution with which e-commerce operators can analyze online shoppers' browsing behavior to predict their purchasing intensions and then offer timely electronic coupons and/or discount information specifically for hesitating customers to facilitate sales transactions, Yu said.Appier has integrated the solution with its own technology to form AiDeal, an AI-based solution to help e-commerce operators reduce online shopping cart abandonment rate and hike purchase conversion rate, Yu noted.Via the acquisition, Emin has become Appier's operational base and R&D center in Tokyo but maintains independent operation, Yu indicated.Since its inception in 2012, Appier has developed CrossX cross-device online advertising platform, Aixon data science platform to help users predict customer behavior, and Aiqua interactive platform helping users identify potential customers and push online advertising, Yu said.Headquatered in Taipei, Appier has set up business offices in 13 cities in Australia, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Hong Kong, India, Thailand and South Korea, with more than 400 employees in total, Yu said.Appier has won venture capital investment of over US$82 million via three fund-raising series.

China market demand for interactive white boards (IWB) has been gaining momentum thanks to the country's strenuous efforts in promoting intelligent education programs, allowing its top-2 homegrown suppliers Shiyuan Electronic Technology and HiteVision Technology to sustain stable increases in shipments and revenues, according to Digitimes Research.IWB sales in China reached 1.5 million units in 2018, representing an annual growth of 23%, with 80% of them adopted for education use.In the first half of 2019, the country's largest IWB supplier Shiyuan saw its education-use IWB sales surge 14.2% on year to CNY2.1 billion (US$1.49 billion), with conference-use IWB shipments shooting up 40% on year to CNY340 million.Prices for large-size LCD panels have plunged by 20-30% so far this year, which is expected to boost demand for education-use IWBs and prompt more monitor and projector makers to jump on the bandwagon.But as IWB penetration rate is relatively high in the fundamental education segment, makers have to develop new markets such as job training institutions or tap the conference-use IWB solutions that entail higher unit prices and are still rather low penetration, Digitimes Research believes.

The impact of the shortages of Intel's 14nm CPUs seems to be rippling out from the PC to the sever sector. Sever ODMs now see tight supply for Intel 14nm CPUs with their stocks reportedly going under safe levels. Despite the pressure, the server ODMs' CPU stocks will still be enough to last through the fourth quarter of the year. For ODMs, profit margins for a lot of products are usually low, and the profitability of making the Apple Watch is said to be so low that its primary maker, Quanta Computer, is considering quitting. It remains to be seen whether Apple would allow it to do so. In the flat panel industry, China makers remain keen to build up their OLED production capacity. It is expected that 10 new 6G OLED fabs will have come on line in China by 2021.Server makers see 14nm chip supply become tight: Server ODMs have reportedly seen the supply of Intel's 14nm CPUs become tight but remain sufficient to support their shipments in the fourth quarter, according to sources from the server industry.Quanta mulling stopping assembly for Apple Watch in 2020, say sources: Apple Watch is emerging as a crucial cash cow for its vendor, but it seems a hot potato for its most veteran assembler Quanta Computer, which reportedly is considering stopping assembly operation for the device in 2020 amid thinning profitability, according to industry sources.10 new 6G OLED fabs to go online in China by 2021: Ten new 6G OLED fabs are set to come online in China by 2021, despite some delays resulting from the US-China trade tensions and weak demand, according to a Taiwan-based upstream supplier.