The DRAM sector enjoyed robust growth in 2018, but oversupply coupled with weakening economy and demand has sent memory prices crashing this year. But there may be good news around the corner, with Adata's chairman expecting DRAM pricing to begin to stablize next month. Some others from the semiconductor supply chain are more consevative about their outlook for second-half 2019. Eight-inch foundry fabs expect their utilization rates to fall on weak demand for automotive and consumer ICs. Most agree that 2020 will see improvements thanks to 5G commercialization. PCB makers expect 5G smartphones to need bigger mainboards to accommodate more RF modules, which will boost their sales.Memory prices to stabilize in 2H19, says Adata chairman: DRAM contract market prices are likely to stop falling and begin to stabilize in September, according to Simon Chen, chairman for memory module maker Adata Technology.8-inch fab utilization rates may not rebound until 2020: Eight-inch fab utilization rates continue to fall on weak demand for automotive and consumer ICs and are unlikely to rebound until the first half of 2020, according to industry sources.PCB makers to gain from enlarged mainboards for 5G smartphones: As mainboards for 5G smartphones will surely be enlarged significantly to accommodate many more RF (radio frequency) modules, Taiwan-based PCB makers including Zhen Ding Technology, Unimicron and Compeq Manufacturing as well CCL supplier Elite Material are expected to gain revenue growth momentum from the 5G smartphone sector, according to industry sources.

For TSMC, Moore's Law is far from being dead. While it has been keen to grow chip density on the transistor level, advancing packaging technology is one of the possible ways TSMC is embracing to improve density by stacking multiple layers of transistors into what it calls monolithic 3D ICs. It remains debatable whether Moore's Law is approaching its limits. But in the display industry, panel makers seem to have already accepted the fact that fab generations have reached its ceiling at 10.5G. At any rate, building higher-generation fabs would make little sense for an already oversupplied market. But the good news for lesser TV makers is that they can buy cheaper panels to produce large-size sets. TSMC advancing 3D IC integration technology: TSMC continues to move forward with its 3D-IC integration technology development, pursuing cutting-edge performance resulting from heterogeneous components that are "seamlessly connected."China tier-2 TV brands ramping up shipments: China's second-tier TV brands are ramping up shipments of over 60-inch TVs globally as the availability of less expensive panels from BOE Technology has helped improve their competitiveness, according to industry sources.

Apple is set to release its new iPhones next month, but shipment prospect of the new devices are expected to be weak. Apple's inventory preparations for the new iPhones for 2019 will be lower than the 90 million units it prepared for the launch of the XR, XS and XS Max in 2018, with actual shipments of the upcoming devices to reach only 70 million units this year, according to Digitimes Research. The new iPhones' shipment outlook may be weak, but Apple remains one of the biggest clients of TSMC, who manufactures the A13 processor at its 7nm node. For TSMC, sales in second-half 2019 and in 2020 will be robust, driven by strong demand for its 7nm and more advanced processes.Apple new iPhone shipments to reach 70 million units in 2019, says Digitimes Research: Apple's new iPhones to be released in autumn 2019 are expected to see shipments of only 70 million units overall in 2019, less than the amount contributed by the iPhone XR, XS and XS Max in 2018, according to Digitimes Research's estimates.TSMC to see revenues surge in 2020: Growing chip demand for 5G- and AIoT-related applications will boost TSMC's revenues for 2020, which are expected to climb over 10% on year, according to industry sources.

Software as a Medical Device (SaMD) is emerging as a new smart healthcare application, but what counts most for software developers to successfully tap into the medical AI domain is that they must know first what problems their solutions can address for the healthcare industry, according to Mishal Patel, head of health informatics at AstraZeneca (AZ), a UK-based biopharmaceutical company.Patel said the value of innovative healthcare software products lies in their ability to solve problems seen in the medical treatment process, such as those seen in consumables management and analysis of medical records. Image or text algorithms can also be applied to help hospitals more accurately monitor the volumes of drugs and intravenous drips used and the life of surgery instruments in use, thus allowing hospitals to make timely replenishments, maintenances and replacements.Patel said the healthcare industry hopes AI can help analyze patients' medical histories to enhance development of new drugs, but drug development is highly complicated. Not only better clinical trials must be designed, but traits of the new drugs and the conditions of the patients should also be more precisely monitored by incorporating tech elements.He said the accuracy and accessibility of data is also crucial in building effective algorithms, stressing the concept of "FAIR" (findable, available, interpretable and researchable) and the need to unify data formats.

Taiwan-based IC designer house MediaTek reportedly is on track to roll out its first 5G SoC series, codenamed MT6885, in fourth-quarter 2019, ready for commercial production in first-quarter 2020. The 5G market may see explosive growths starting next year, but until then, the US-China trade war remains a crucial factor, plaguing markets and industries with uncertainty and disrupting seasonal patterns. Sales of smartphones in China surged 22.4% sequentially in the second quarter, but are expected to drop 7.1% in the third quarter. In China's semiconductor sector, foundry house HSMC CEO Shang-yi Chiang has told Digitimes why chiplets promise to be a solution in post-Moore's Law era.MediaTek 5G SoC launches on track: With support from its partners including TSMC, and backend houses such as ASE Technology Holding, MediaTek's development of SoC chips designed for 5G-enabled smartphones is on schedule with volume production to kick off in the first quarter of 2020, according to industry sources.China smartphone sales up 22.4% on quarter in 2Q19, says Digitimes Research: Sales of smartphone in the China market increased 22.4% sequentially to 93.4 million units in the second quarter of 2019 as local brands were keen to roll out new models after inventories in the channels had been partly cleared out in the previous quarter, according to Digitimes Research. On a yearly basis, second-quarter shipments were still down 1.6% from a year earlier.China foundry HSMC to push chiplet standard formulation, says CEO Shang-yi Chiang: While Moore's Law is approaching its physical limits, only a few could still afford the expensive game of process shrink. And when the post-Moore's Law era comes, semiconductor firms, though lost in Moore's Law, may realize that there is another solution: chiplets, according to Shang-yi Chiang, CEO of China-based foundry Hongxin Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp (HSMC).

Sales of smartphone in the China market increased 22.4% sequentially to 93.4 million units in the second quarter of 2019 as local brands were keen to roll out new models after inventories in the channels had been partly cleared out in the previous quarter, according to Digitimes Research. On a yearly basis, second-quarter shipments were still down 1.6% from a year earlier.The top-five smartphone vendors in China in the second quarter were Huawei, Vivo, Oppo, Xiaomi and Apple, with their combined share reaching as high as 95%. Separately, Huawei, Vivo and Oppo saw their respective shares improve in the second quarter compared to a year earlier, and Xiaomi and Apple experienced setbacks, according to Digitimes Research's latest China smartphone report.Looking into the second half of 2019, smartphone sales in China are expected to suffer double-digit declines on year in both the third and fourth quarters, as US-China trade disputes have again intensified since August and consumer confidence in China is unlikely to recover significantly amid a weak economy.Huawei is expected to see its shipments growth slow down on year in the second half, and other local brands will brace for double-digit declines. Foreign brands will see shipments improve sequentially in the second half but will drop over 10% on year.

Chinese smartphone vendors, particularly Huawei, scrambled to stock up components in the second-quarter of 2019 amid escalating US-China trade tensions. Such precautionary orders sharply boosted second-quarter smartphone AP shipments, but are set to undermine shipments in the third quarter, according to Digitimes Research's latest China Smartphone AP quarterly report. In the IT sector, new products from Nvidia, AMD and Intel are expected to generate some growth momentum for the motherboard and graphics card vendors in the second half of 2019, but extent of growth will be limited by uncertainty of the trade war. In the memory sector, a seasonal pick-up in demand amid supply constraints has rallied NAND flash wafer pricing.China smartphone AP shipments to drop 7.6% in 3Q19, says Digitimes Research: Smartphone application processor (AP) shipments to China vendors registered a larger-than-expected increase sequentially in the second quarter of 2019, thanks to deliveries made in advance to avoid the burden of potential tariffs from the US, according to Digitimes Research.Motherboard, graphics card vendors to see shipments grow in 2H19: Thanks to seasonality and new products from Nvidia, AMD and Intel, motherboard and graphics card vendors, particularly Asustek Computer and Micro-Star International (MSI), are expected to see rising shipments in the second half of 2019 though the extent of growth will be restrained by the US-China trade tensions, according to sources from the upstream supply chain.NAND flash wafer prices rise above cash cost levels: NAND flash wafer prices have been rising in the third quarter of 2019, and have exceeded manufacturers' cash cost levels, according to industry sources.

Smartphone application processor (AP) shipments to China vendors registered a larger-than-expected increase sequentially in the second quarter of 2019, thanks to deliveries made in advance to avoid the burden of potential tariffs from the US, according to Digitimes Research.Smartphone AP shipments to China surged 39.1% sequentially in the second quarter, according to Digitimes Research's latest China Smartphone AP quarterly report. Looking into the third quarter, Digitimes Research forecast smartphone AP shipments to China will increase by a mere 0.2% sequentially but decline 7.6% on year. Shipments will decrease 2.5% sequentially in the fourth quarter, due mainly to seasonal factors, Digitimes Research said.In addition, 12nm will become the mainstream process technology for the manufacture of smartphone APs for the China market in the third quarter. Of the total smartphone APs shipped to China, 12nm chips will account for nearly 30% while chips built using a more advanced 7nm process will reach around 10% as a proportion of shipments.Qualcomm will see its shipments affected by the ongoing trade disputes between the US and China in the third and fourth quarters, when shipments of its smartphone APs to China are forecast to drop 3.8% and 2.7%, respectively, on quarter, according to Digitimes Research.On another front, MediaTek's smartphone AP shipments to China will grow 5.8% sequentially in the third quarter driven by orders from Huawei, Oppo and Vivo. Shipments will drop on a sequential basis but increase 4.6% from a year earlier in the fourth quarter.

Taiwan-based startup Medical Innovation Technology (MIT) has been dedicated to promoting its medical image recording platform to address the needs of regional hospitals, clinics and long-term care institutions, according to company president Stevens Chen.Chen said that MIT can offer medical image recording apps, including eSnapshot platform, to help medical units with fewer tech resources to collect, store, and file their healthcare images for diverse application scenarios in a more cost-effective way.Chen said ordinary visible injury images can be stored in databank in the form of JPG files so as to sharply lower costs, but if needed, the PJG files can be converted into the digital imaging and communications in medicine (DICOM) protocol and then stored in the picture archiving and communication system (PACS) for further application.Chen said that in line with growing awareness of patients' autonomy and rampant development of AI applications, medical establishments must adopt new collection and storage solutions for medical images to facilitate wider applications in the future.He said MIT's eSnapshot app, now available on Google Play and Apple Store, allows the use of personal mobile devices to record images of patients' wounds or physical symptoms to address possible medical disputes.The eSnapshot platform can be connected with healthcare information systems at hospitals to provide wounds recovery progress, patients' personal data management and diverse healthcare image collection services. This allows hospital managers or physicians to focus on management and medical care, according to Chen.Chen said his company will also extend its image recording systems to long-term care institutions.Medical Innovation Technology president Stevens ChenPhoto: Mark Tsai, Digitimes, August 2019

Apple is expected to launch its new iPhones soon, but it seems few would expect strong sales or major spec upgrades for the new phones. News from the supply chain has claimed that PCB order momentum ahead of the new iPhone launch has been weaker than that seen in previous years. But others in the 3D sensing components segment reportedly are receiving a boost from shipments for the upcoming iPhone.Orders for upcoming iPhones conservative, say PCB firms: Orders for the iPhones slated for launch in September have thus far been weaker compared to the momentum in previous years, according to sources at PCB makers.Win Semi, Xintec and ShunSin ramping up shipments for 3D sensing components: GaAs foundry Win Semiconductors, and backend houses Xintec and ShunSin Technology have started ramping up shipments for structured light 3D sensing components in the third quarter of 2019, according to industry sources.