Below are the top DIGITIMES Asia stories from August 11 to 17, 2025. Leading the headlines: Apple is preparing to launch a US$599 MacBook, with mass production of key components expected by the end of 2025. China's leading DRAM manufacturer has begun domestic production of HBM3 chips, with samples already sent to Huawei for final validation. Meanwhile, a reported leak of TSMC's 2nm technology involving employees from TSMC and Tokyo Electron (TEL) sparked espionage concerns but appears less severe after further investigation.
Exclusive: Apple reportedly preparing US$599 MacBook to capture more laptop market share
Apple is reportedly gearing up to disrupt the notebook market with a brand-new, ultra-low-cost MacBook, according to supply chain sources. Key components are expected to enter mass production by the end of the third quarter of 2025, potentially paving the way for full system assembly before the year's end. Apple has yet to officially confirm these plans.
China to start mass production of domestic HBM3 chips, paving way for Huawei AI integration
One of China's top DRAM producers has reportedly started mass-producing HBM3 chips using an in-house 16nm G4 process, marking a key advancement in the country's high-bandwidth memory technology. Industry insiders report that samples have already been sent to Huawei and are now undergoing final validation stages.
Inside TSMC's 2nm leak involving TEL: How a job application became an international incident
Reports of a leak involving TSMC's 2-nanometer technology by employees of TSMC and Tokyo Electron (TEL) have sparked concerns over possible corporate espionage. The incident gained attention due to the importance of advanced semiconductor technologies. However, further analysis suggests it may not be as severe as first believed. Investigations point to a more nuanced and less dramatic situation.
Samsung's potential US$50 billion US chip expansion puts pressure on TSMC
Samsung Electronics is said to be exploring a substantial increase in its US semiconductor investment, potentially raising its total commitment to around US$50 billion after landing major contracts from Tesla and Apple, according to sources. The possible expansion comes ahead of the Korea-US summit on August 25, 2025, where AI chip collaboration is expected to feature prominently. The timing could enhance South Korea's leverage in trade and tech negotiations with the United States. This move underscores deepening strategic cooperation between the two nations in advanced semiconductor development.
Samsung, SK Hynix rush to secure Nvidia's SOCAMM supply chain, before it becomes the next HBM
Following their competition for dominance in the high-bandwidth memory (HBM) market, South Korea's leading memory manufacturers, Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, are now in a race to commercialize SOCAMM — a next-generation LPDDR-based DRAM module supported by Nvidia as a key component for future AI systems.
TSMC fine-tunes advanced packaging, delays projects, and trims low-return ops
Despite emphasizing its expansion plans publicly, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) has reorganized its advanced packaging capacity and workforce. The company is consolidating its Advanced Packaging 5 Factory (AP5) facilities in the Central Taiwan Science Park (CTSP) by merging AP5A and AP5B and reducing personnel due to lower capacity utilization rates.
Micron walks away from China's mobile NAND market, opening doors for rivals
Micron Technology is scaling back its involvement in the mobile NAND flash market and reducing its operations in China, which could create opportunities for Samsung Electronics and Yangtze Memory Technologies Co. (YMTC). Although Micron is benefiting from increased demand for high-bandwidth memory (HBM) fueled by AI, it continues to face challenges in making mobile storage profitable.
Article edited by Jack Wu
