According to DIGITIMES Research's surveys and analyses, second-quarter 2022 smartphone shipments to the China market amounted to 64.2 million units, representing a new low since third-quarter 2020 and an 11.1% on-year decline, amid the already weak market demand on top of lockdown restrictions.

According to Digitimes Research's surveys and analyses, second-quarter 2022 smartphone application processor (AP) shipments to China-based vendors amounted to 181 million units, increasing 1.7% from the prior quarter but decreasing 17.1% from the prior year mainly due to China's weakening economy as well as the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and rising inflation continuingly taking a toll on consumer spending.

According to Digitimes Research's statistics, global tablet shipments amounted to 31.95 million units in second-quarter 2022, coming short of expectation, as the market fell under negative influences including low season effects and rising global inflation as well as China's COVID-19 lockdown restrictions, which mainly affected the supply side.

According to Digitimes Research's statistics and analyses, with sales in China remaining sluggish and rising inflation dampening consumer spending in overseas markets, China-based smartphone vendors' channel inventory levels ran high and their shipments continued to decline in second-quarter 2022, amounting to 150 million units, down 5.2% from a quarter ago and 4.6% from a year ago.

Sony and WS Audiology have teamed up developing hearing aids, planning to make them available in the US market in October. CATL and EVE Energy will supply large cylindrical batteries for BMW's new cars starting from 2025, and several battery companies are planning to mass produce 46800 batteries. Commercialization of Hyundai's third-generation fuel cells will be delayed from 2023 to 2027, thanks to technical difficulties and uncertain demand.

The observations of this issue's Asia Enterprise include SK Hynix plans to invest KRW15 trillion (US$10.8 billion) to build a new factory in Cheongju, South Korea in five years. The company is boldly investing in the memory market during the downturn. Geely, Huawei, and Apple are all introducing innovative services of mobile communication combined with satellite communication. Nikon increases investment in 3D printing for metal, aerospace, and automotive applications.

With the increasing usage of advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) and over-reliance on technologies, drivers are more likely to be distracted while behind the wheel, making the adoption of in-cabin monitoring systems (ICMS) rather critical.

The observations for this issue's Asia Enterprise include the South Korea's government has budgeted KRW 31 trillion (US$22.61 billion) for research and development in 2023, mainly investing in AI, robotics, semiconductors, 5G and 6G communication technologies. Panel makers are facing losses and investing in the solar panel business to make up for the losses. Toyota is expanding its production and setting up new factories in Japan and the US, and Honda and LGES are setting up battery factories in the US, which shows that the two major Japanese automakers are actively to control the main supply of batteries.