As artificial intelligence, sensing, and motion-control technologies mature, humanoid robots are moving beyond concept demonstrations toward early-stage deployment. The shift was evident at CES 2026, where many systems moved from static displays to live demonstrations—such as competitive sparring and household tasks—underscoring gains in dynamic performance.

The iPhone 17 series has been on the market for over a quarter, yet Taiwan's telecom channels still face significant shortages of high-end models. A check on local carrier websites shows that the iPhone 17 Pro Max is nearly sold out across all storage capacities, while the iPhone 17 Pro and new iPhone Air models with 512GB or higher storage remain extremely hard to find.

ASIC servers are emerging as the most closely watched segment of the server supply chain heading into 2026. Nvidia remains the dominant force in AI servers and continues to ship the largest volumes of GPU-based systems. However, as Nvidia tightens its control over the supply chain through high server prices and increasingly standardized specifications, gross margins across the ecosystem are coming under pressure. Competition for ASIC server orders is intensifying as suppliers seek to protect and improve profitability.

Smart glasses have transitioned from being a concept to practical use and pricing. 2026 is expected to be major for AI wearable devices, especially after the compute power of multimodal AI models is deployed. The lightweighting of hardware carriers has become the core issue determining adoption rates. Waveguide technology, with its high light transmittance and thin-form advantages, is reshaping the value-chain distribution of the global optics industry.

At major international auto shows, sleek supercars and long-range electric vehicles are no longer the sole attractions. Increasingly, visitors encounter humanoid robots moving through exhibition halls and smart wearable devices synced in real time with driving data.

As 2026 begins, demand for fan motors remains strong. On top of continued cooling needs driven by cloud servers, new fan upgrade and increased usage requirements are emerging across the edge computing segment. AI PCs are driving more dual-fan designs, while automotive and industrial control sectors are also expanding their fan usage. The motor driver IC opportunities behind these trends are expected to become a major development focus for many Taiwanese analog chip makers in 2026. Weltrend Semiconductor, Global Mixed-mode Technology (GMT), and Anpec Electronics are all expected to see stable support for their operations this year.

The Global Electronics Association's latest "2026 Electronics Industry Trend Forecast" highlights critical challenges and shifts that will impact the sector over the next few years. Chief among these are energy infrastructure constraints that are throttling AI expansion, a move toward strategic interdependence in regional supply chains, and advancements in packaging technologies that are transforming industry dynamics. These developments signal substantial changes in investment approaches, geopolitical relations, and manufacturing policies worldwide.

As the automotive sector pivots toward autonomous driving technologies, Taiwan's optics industry is rapidly evolving from a consumer electronics supplier into a critical player in advanced vehicle sensing systems. The transition reflects broader shifts in automotive design where cameras serve as fundamental sensory organs rather than peripheral accessories, driving new technical and commercial demands.

Kinpo Group held its annual year-end party on January 21, during which company chairman Jerry Hsu highlighted that US tariff policies in early 2025 had temporarily stalled the global consumer market. With Kinpo and AcBel Polytech's main product lines closely tied to consumer electronics, the company's operations faced significant pressure in the first half of 2025. However, as the market gradually absorbed the policy uncertainties, and with emerging demand from artificial intelligence (AI), memory modules, fuel cells, data centers, and server power supplies, operations began to show signs of recovery in the second half.