Intel is grappling with an operational crisis as its IDM 2.0 transformation plan has yet to yield results, casting doubt on when its foundry business might finally become profitable. This raises the question of whether Intel should consider abandoning its IDM model and separating its product design and manufacturing divisions—a move with both potential advantages and drawbacks. Industry leaders, including former board members, are offering advice in hopes of helping Intel find a viable path forward. However, the conflicting nature of their advice highlights the complexity of the company's dilemma
SoftBank's investment in Intel may look routine, but it has sent ripples through tech and geopolitics. The move shows Washington taking a more active hand in the semiconductor race. A country that once championed free-market capitalism now leans on tactics more commonly associated with Beijing's state-driven model
The launch of the Pixel 10 series marks the tenth anniversary of Google's Pixel brand. Over the past decade, the company's smartphone venture has highlighted persistent shortcomings in hardware sales and market execution
Reports that Chinese automaker BYD may enter the Taiwanese market through indirect channels have sparked widespread debate, reflecting growing interest—alongside skepticism—toward Chinese electric vehicles (EVs). While some Taiwanese consumers are intrigued by the value proposition, many industry experts remain wary of potential safety and privacy risks
US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick recently stated in interviews that the government should not only offer free subsidies but also acquire non-voting stakes to safeguard American taxpayers' interests. A spokesperson from the White House confirmed that discussions are ongoing with Intel regarding a deal for a 10% equity stake
As the US government seriously considers taking a stake in Intel, the company faces more than just a simple transaction; it has become a strategic industry bet. Once the semiconductor leader, Intel's lagging advanced process technology has gradually eroded its ability to compete with TSMC and Samsung Electronics at the 7nm, 5nm, and even upcoming 2nm nodes. Meanwhile, construction delays at the Ohio wafer fab have hindered the US government's carefully crafted blueprint for domestic advanced manufacturing from materializing
Gallium nitride (GaN) semiconductors are on the brink of a major transformation. Once hailed as the rising star among third-generation semiconductors, this technology has fallen from grace due to intense price competition in the Chinese market. Now, with global GaN foundry leader TSMC announcing its withdrawal by mid-2027, the entire industry is entering an early era of fragmentation reminiscent of the Warring States period
Like advanced AI processors, high-bandwidth memory (HBM) has been a target of US export curbs under former President Joe Biden. HBM capacity and bandwidth shape the speed and efficiency of AI training and inference. From Nvidia's H100 to the GB200, HBM capacity has grown 2.4 times and bandwidth 2.6 times. Despite that, China still lacks self-developed HBM and cutting-edge AI chips, which have been left exposed to Washington's pressure points
US President Donald Trump recently announced that semiconductor tariffs could reach 300%, yet this has not triggered panic in the chip industry. Supply chain players stress that the market's primary concern is the impact on TSMC, but in reality, whether the tariff rate is 100%, 300%, or even 500%, the US risks mostly harming itself
Rising AI startups, including OpenAI and Perplexity, have shown interest in acquiring the Google Chrome browser, with Perplexity offering US$34.5 billion. Yahoo has also expressed acquisition intentions. However, Google has not indicated any willingness to sell Chrome, despite ongoing antitrust pressures
Beijing E-Town Semiconductor Technology has sued US chipmaking equipment leader Applied Materials in a Chinese court, seeking nearly CNY100 million (approx. US$13.9 million) in damages for alleged trade secret misappropriation. Beyond the immediate legal battle, the case signals a strategic shift: Chinese semiconductor equipment firms, once largely reactive in disputes, are now asserting themselves on the global stage
Over the past five years, Huawei's drive to localize smartphone components has shifted from a crisis response into a calculated, strategic effort to build a self-reliant supply chain. With the Kirin 9030 set to debut in the Mate 80, the series is widely seen as a near-fully domestic flagship, a culmination of Huawei's transformation from relying on stopgaps to reshaping its position in the industry
On August 7, 2025, Eastern Time, US President Donald Trump publicly accused Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan of a conflict of interest due to his investments in China and demanded that he resign immediately. Intel and Tan quickly responded with an open letter to employees
US President Donald Trump's decision to impose a 15% revenue levy on Nvidia Corporation's downgraded AI chips, such as the H20 model, sold to China, has ignited intense reactions within the Chinese technology sector. This move diverges from traditional trade sanctions, embodying a novel form of "political taxation" that closely merges technology commerce with international geopolitics
Despite positive news that Nvidia and AMD's H20 and MI308 chips have received official approval from the US government to resume exports to China, this permission comes with an unprecedented condition: Nvidia must remit 15% of its sales revenue from these chips in the Chinese market back to the US government. This move immediately sparked uproar in Chinese public opinion
