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Tuesday 20 January 2026
Alibaba's Qwen expansion links AI directly to consumer services
Alibaba is repositioning its Qwen artificial intelligence app as more than a chatbot, turning it into a gateway to the company's vast consumer ecosystem. The app now connects directly with core Alibaba services, including Taobao, Alipay, and Fliggy, enabling users to shop, make payments, and book travel all within one app
LATEST STORIES
Tuesday 20 January 2026
Samsung foundry utilization reportedly nears 60% as losses narrow
Samsung Electronics' foundry business is showing signs of a gradual recovery, with fab utilization expected to average in the low-60% range in the first half of 2026, up from the 50% range in the second half of 2025, according to a report by ZDNet Korea
Tuesday 20 January 2026
Memory supply constraints and rising costs force China's smartphone brands to scale back 2026 shipment forecasts
China's major smartphone manufacturers are revising their 2026 shipment forecasts downward amid tightening memory supply and surging prices, according to Jiemian News. Xiaomi, Oppo, Vivo, and Transsion have reportedly reduced their full-year smartphone shipment forecasts amid escalating upstream material costs that are increasingly pressuring mid- to low-end device segments, particularly those targeting overseas markets
Tuesday 20 January 2026
Alibaba-backed PixVerse introduces real-time AI video tool with interactive control
PixVerse, a platform operated by Alibaba-backed Aishi Technology, has launched a real-time, interactive artificial intelligence (AI) video-generation tool that lets users control character actions during video creation. The new feature potentially enables novel business models by offering an unprecedented level of user engagement, according to reports from CNBC and Forbes
Tuesday 20 January 2026
Naver Cloud fails South Korea's AI foundation model selection
Based on the results of the first phase of South Korea's independent AI foundation model selection, LG AI Research, SK Telecom, and Upstage have advanced to the next stage. However, Naver Cloud and NC failed to pass the evaluation. Naver was judged as insufficiently autonomous because of controversy that it uses a Chinese-made vision encoder
Tuesday 20 January 2026
AUO turns Suzhou plant into 'Talent Lighthouse' with AI at the core

AUO Corporation has transformed its Suzhou manufacturing facility into what it calls a "Talent Lighthouse Factory," a first for the global display industry. The designation underscores how AI has become central not only to the company's digital transformation, but also to a parallel reinvention of how talent is recruited, managed, and retained

Tuesday 20 January 2026
Samsung Device Solutions eyes 47% bonuses after profit surge

Samsung Electronics on January 16 announced payout ratios for its 2025 excess profit performance incentive, with the Device Solutions (DS) division set to receive bonuses equivalent to 47% of annual base salary. The level represents a sharp rebound from 14% for 2024 and zero in 2023

Tuesday 20 January 2026
Memory price surge reshapes China's PC assembly market with renewed interest in older platforms
In early 2026, global memory prices continued their steep climb, intensifying cost pressures on the consumer electronics industry. This trend has sparked a notable shift in China's PC assembly sector, particularly in Shenzhen's Huaqiangbei district, where demand for older-generation systems using DDR3 memory and Intel's sixth- to ninth-generation Core processors has resurged
Monday 19 January 2026
Research Insight: The rising chip cost inside every car is forcing a rethink in China
As electric vehicles and autonomous driving technologies spread rapidly, and as automotive electrical and electronic (E/E) architectures grow more centralized, the value of semiconductors embedded in each vehicle is rising sharply. According to an analysis by DIGITIMES, the average semiconductor content per car is expected to increase from about US$759 in 2024 to US$1,332 by 2030
Monday 19 January 2026
China's rare earth supply hit by factory blast as exports slip

China's rare earth supply chain faced renewed uncertainty after a deadly explosion at a steel plate plant operated by Inner Mongolia Baotou Steel Union, compounding market concerns driven by falling exports and tighter trade controls

Monday 19 January 2026
Glass fiber supply crunch hits AI hardware and Apple's 2026 devices
The global AI boom is pushing electronics supply chains to their limits. While shortages of advanced chips and memory have drawn most attention, a less visible constraint is emerging: high-end electronic-grade glass fiber cloth, a core reinforcement material used in chip substrates and printed circuit boards (PCBs)
Monday 19 January 2026
Trump questions USMCA, opens door to Chinese carmakers
Speaking at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit this week, President Trump delivered a set of remarks that startled both policymakers and industry executives. He openly questioned the long-term value of the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA) and, in an unexpected turn, extended what appeared to be an olive branch to Chinese automakers
Monday 19 January 2026
Cost pressures push China LED price hike despite soft markets
Even as end-market demand shows little sign of a sustained recovery, China's LED display industry has begun a fresh round of price increases, underscoring mounting cost pressures across the supply chain
Monday 19 January 2026
China's Innosilicon launches LPDDR6 IP with commercial shipments
As AI smartphones and AI PCs surge, end devices demand unprecedented memory bandwidth. Recently, Chinese interface IP provider Innosilicon announced that its self-developed LPDDR6/5X combo IP has successfully shipped to major customers
Monday 19 January 2026
Apple leads global smartphone market, Huawei tops China in 2025
Despite supply-chain pressure and memory shortages, the global smartphone market remained resilient in 2025, supported by strong demand for high-end models, foldable devices, and early upgrade cycles driven by expectations of future price increases
Sunday 18 January 2026
South Korea signs IP pact again, China-linked tech leaks still dominate
South Korea's Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on intellectual property cooperation with China's National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) during a China-South Korea leaders' meeting in Beijing in January 2026. It was the third such agreement, following earlier MOUs in 2013 and 2021