Xiaomi's second-generation in-house mobile processor, the Xring O2, will skip TSMC's 2nm process and instead use the company's 3nm N3P node, underscoring a trade-off between performance, cost, and supply availability. The choice also suggests the chip may not power Xiaomi's most premium flagship smartphones

South Korean industry and government officials are monitoring a new trade agreement between the US and Taiwan that links semiconductor investment to import duty exemptions, with officials in Seoul saying that any future US-South Korea talks should not leave Korea worse off than Taiwan. Officials view the terms as a potential benchmark for future US-South Korea trade negotiations

As the global memory market enters a prolonged upcycle, South Korea's two leading memory chipmakers, Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, are expected to post record operating profits in 2026. Combined operating profit could exceed KRW300 trillion (approx. US$210 billion), roughly double the level recorded in 2025