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Tuesday 6 May 2025
Former Samsung employee indicted in DRAM leak case aiding CXMT
South Korean prosecutors recently announced the indictment and detention of a former Samsung Electronics researcher suspected of leaking core semiconductor technology secrets, developed with an investment of KRW1.6 trillion (US$1.1 billion), to China's leading DRAM manufacturer, ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT). Samsung may have suffered revenue losses amounting to tens of trillions of Korean won due to this security breach
Tuesday 6 May 2025
Samsung DS chief rushes to Silicon Valley to secure AI memory and foundry orders
YoungHyun Jun, Vice Chairman of Samsung Electronics' Device Solutions (DS) division, recently led a senior executive delegation to Silicon Valley, foregoing South Korea's extended May holidays. The week-long trip focused on meetings with major US tech firms—including Apple, Nvidia, and Broadcom—to shore up demand across Samsung's semiconductor portfolio, from DRAM and high-bandwidth memory (HBM) to foundry services. US tariff policy was also a key topic on the agenda
Monday 5 May 2025
LG Display pioneers blue phosphorescent OLED, achieves world-first product validation
LG Display (LGD) has become the first company worldwide to achieve product validation for a blue phosphorescent OLED panel, advancing a long-elusive milestone in the development of the so-called "dream OLED.
Monday 5 May 2025
Huawei reportedly erects three advanced chip fabs in Shenzhen to sidestep foreign tech
Facing escalating US sanctions and export bans, Huawei is reportedly building three semiconductor fabs in Shenzhen's Guanlan district to localize its supply chain for advanced AI chips. The facilities are expected to anchor Huawei's in-house production of Kirin smartphone processors and Ascend AI accelerators
Monday 5 May 2025
iPhone sales in China falter: headwinds on four fronts
Apple reported iPhone sales revenue of US$46.8 billion for the first quarter of 2025, representing a 1.9% increase compared to the same period last year, according to its financial results for the second quarter of fiscal 2025 (2Q25, covering January to March), released on May 2. However, growing market concerns indicate a potential continuous slowdown in iPhone sales in China, which could significantly impact Apple's overall operational performance
Monday 5 May 2025
China's 28nm foundry capacity to hit 31% by 2027 as SMIC, HLMC, Nexchip ramp up

China is rapidly expanding mature-node chip production at key sites, including SMIC's fabs in Beijing, Shenzhen, Shanghai Lingang, and Xiqing; Hua Hong Semiconductor's phase-two 12-inch fab in Wuxi; Nexchip Semiconductor's N3 facility; and the second-phase 12-inch project by Beijing Yandong Micro Electronic. With these ongoing investments, analysts estimate China's global share of 28nm capacity could exceed 31% by 2027

Monday 5 May 2025
Indian smartphone market sees decline in shipments as Mediatek dominates chipset share, Apple gains premium traction
According to Counterpoint, India's smartphone market experienced a 7% year-over-year shipment decline in the first quarter of 2025, impacted by high inventory levels and fewer product launches. MediaTek led the chipset market with a 45% share, while Apple gained momentum in the premium segment, reflecting stronger demand for high-end devices despite cautious consumer sentiment
Monday 5 May 2025
Taiwan's Coretronic disrupts drone market, outflanks DJI with non-red supply chain edge
Coretronic Intelligent Robotics Corporation (CIRC), a subsidiary of Taiwan's Coretronic Group, is carving a niche in the global drone market, capitalizing on its non-red supply chain status to secure a competitive edge over the Chinese giant DJI. Despite acknowledging technological gaps, CIRC's strategic positioning and robust contract wins signal a promising trajectory, particularly in defense and commercial applications
Monday 5 May 2025
China leans on industrial policy, not tariffs, to fast-track domestic GPU ascendancy
As US-China tech tensions escalate, Washington's tightened export controls—particularly targeting Nvidia's H20 chips designed for the Chinese market—are deepening compute shortages for cloud services and AI model training. In response, Beijing is ramping up its "Xinchuang" initiative to foster domestic innovation, accelerating the adoption of homegrown GPUs and AI processors
Monday 5 May 2025
Weekly news roundup: EUV leap, Intel reboot, Nvidia's China reckoning, and TSMC's AI power play
These are the top-read DIGITIMES Asia stories from the week of April 28 – May 4. From China's EUV light source milestone and Intel's turnaround push to Nvidia's evolving China strategy and TSMC's AI chip roadmap, the semiconductor sector saw a week of pivotal shifts
Monday 5 May 2025
India roundup: Most iPhones sold in US will be made in India
Apple and Foxconn are speeding up their iPhone manufacturing in India. Dixon continues to collaborate with Taiwanese companies to secure more diversified manufacturing capabilities
Monday 5 May 2025
UBTech, Midea fast-track humanoid robots as China races toward industrial AI supremacy
China is accelerating the commercialization of humanoid robots, with key players UBTech Robotics Inc. and Midea Group Co. rapidly advancing deployments in factory environments. UBTech has initiated small-batch shipments of its Walker S1 and Walker C humanoid robots, according to reports from South China Morning Post, Zol.com, and The Paper. These units are being introduced into automotive plants for both manufacturing operations and customer engagement roles
Monday 5 May 2025
Semco and Daeduck poised to power Tesla's autonomous Cybercab with key substrate supply

South Korea's leading substrate manufacturers, Samsung Electro-Mechanics (Semco) and Daeduck Electronics, are preparing to supply crucial components for Tesla's next-generation autonomous taxi, the Cybercab. With production slated to begin in the second half of 2025, both companies are positioned to deliver ABF substrates (FC-BGA) for the high-tech vehicle by the end of 2025

Sunday 4 May 2025
OpenAI's Singapore push cements city-state as Asia-Pacific AI powerhouse
OpenAI is making a decisive push into Asia, with Singapore emerging as a focal point for its regional ambitions. The AI giant is aggressively hiring across a wide range of functions, from engineering and business development to legal, product management, and marketing. The move underscores Singapore's growing clout as a strategic operational hub, positioning the city-state as OpenAI's de facto Asia-Pacific headquarters and a rising force in the global artificial intelligence race
Saturday 3 May 2025
US-China trade war threatens to gut global semiconductor market by 34% through 2026

The US-China trade war shows no signs of de-escalation, with recent industry analysis warning that if both sides maintain tariffs exceeding 100%, the global semiconductor market could shrink by 34% by 2026, severely impacting the sector's growth prospects

Research Report Database
Intel signals overhaul of IDM 2.0 and foundry strategy with Lip-Bu Tan's appointment, says DIGITIMES