DIGITIMES: News and Insight of the Global Supply Chain

Taiwan connector maker Bellwether turns high-current design into patent licensing moat

Levi Li — Sat, 11 Jul 2026 03:45:39 GMT

Bellwether Electronic has evolved from a connector and wire harness manufacturer into a technology developer shaping industry standards and generating patent licensing revenue by focusing on customer challenges in high-current connectors, high-density integration and foolproof connector design, according to Bellwether Electronic chairwoman Hsu Jui-ying, speaking at the Taiwan Venture Capital and Private Equity Annual Conference on July 7.

Flytech lifts second-quarter revenue 38% on box PC and POS demand

DIGITIMES — Sat, 11 Jul 2026 03:45:28 GMT

Flytech Technology reported stronger June 2026 and second-quarter revenue as demand in the Americas and the commercial computing market continued to support shipments. The industrial computer maker said continued hardware volume and expanding software businesses should help sustain its growth trend.

Song Chuan hits record June revenue on AI power and storage demand

DIGITIMES — Sat, 11 Jul 2026 03:45:18 GMT

Relay supplier Song Chuan Precision reported record June 2026 revenue as customer orders rose and its acquisition of solenoid valve maker Tai Hsing Electronics was folded into its books. The company said the second half should stay supported by demand in new energy and AI power applications.

Lianyou Metals posts record second-quarter revenue as tungsten supply tightens

DIGITIMES — Sat, 11 Jul 2026 03:44:56 GMT

Lianyou Metals, a rare metals recycler focused on tungsten and cobalt, said its June consolidated revenue reached NT$750 million (US$23.36 million), up 22% from May and 555% from a year earlier. The Taiwan-based company also reported second-quarter consolidated revenue of NT$1.9 billion, rising 92% from the first quarter and 450% year on year, both record highs as the global tungsten supply chain remained tight.

WITS posts record first-half revenue as AI and chip design drive growth

DIGITIMES — Sat, 11 Jul 2026 03:44:46 GMT

WITS reported consolidated revenue of NT$1.233 billion (US$38.41 million) in June, up 7.3% from May and 37.1% from a year earlier. The Taiwan-based IT services provider also said second-quarter revenue reached NT$3.623 billion, a quarterly increase of 6.6% and a yearly gain of 33.1%, while first-half revenue climbed 30.9% to NT$7.02 billion, both setting company records.

Record chip profits mask a widening divide inside Samsung

Lily Hess — Sat, 11 Jul 2026 03:44:37 GMT

Samsung Electronics' preliminary results for the second quarter of 2026 again underscore a striking split inside the company: surging semiconductor profits driven by AI server demand are lifting overall earnings, while TVs, home appliances, and other end-device businesses remain under pressure.

TV panel prices fall in July as weak demand expected to hit 3Q26

Lily Hess — Sat, 11 Jul 2026 03:44:26 GMT

The global LCD TV panel market moved into a down cycle in July after prices held flat in the second quarter of 2026. With pre-build demand cooling among brands, sales from China's 618 Shopping Festival coming in weaker than expected, and panel factory utilization gradually recovering, the supply-demand relationship has shifted from tight to loose, dragging down prices across all LCD TV panel sizes and dimming what is usually a peak season in the third quarter.

Interview: Why Geckos bets materials, not chips, will decide the next AI performance leap

Jingyue Hsiao — Sat, 11 Jul 2026 03:43:29 GMT

As generative AI fuels rapid growth in demand for high-performance computing (HPC), the semiconductor industry is shifting from a process race to a materials race. Geckos chairman Shen Tsung-huan says that as chip manufacturing moves to 2nm and even more advanced nodes, gains in AI computing power are no longer just a chip design issue, but are increasingly constrained by the thermal conductivity and high-frequency signal transmission capabilities of materials.

Cisco says agentic AI will triple enterprise network traffic within three years

Levi Li — Sat, 11 Jul 2026 03:43:15 GMT

Agentic AI is putting new pressure on enterprise networks and cybersecurity infrastructure as companies accelerate internal deployment, with Cisco and Foundry warning that more than 70% of enterprises see their current networks as unprepared for future AI demand.

Samsung's CXL 3.1 memory delay lays bare Intel, AMD server platform lag

DIGITIMES — Sat, 11 Jul 2026 03:43:00 GMT

Samsung Electronics has postponed mass production of its CXL 3.1 memory modules after delays to next-generation server processors from Intel and AMD pushed back the broader PCIe 6.0 ecosystem, highlighting how AI infrastructure adoption increasingly depends on platform readiness rather than individual components.

QuantumDiamonds sets up Asia HQ in Taiwan, installs first regional system at iST

Charlene Chen — Sat, 11 Jul 2026 03:42:32 GMT

Backed by support from the European Chips Act, German quantum startup QuantumDiamonds has completed a financing round totaling EUR91 million (approx. US$104.1 million), a move expected to deepen its presence in the three major semiconductor markets and speed the rollout of diamond-based quantum sensing technology into wafer fabs worldwide.

SunplusIT clears Intel and AMD eUSB hurdle, starts thermal imaging shipments ahead of July listing

Charlene Chen — Sat, 11 Jul 2026 03:42:20 GMT

Sunplus Innovation Technology (SunplusIT) said on July 9, 2026, that it is preparing to become a listed company in mid-July 2026 and outlined its view on market conditions in the second half of 2026 as well as its product roadmap. The company said its thermal imaging products have begun small-volume shipments, while its eUSB interface has passed certification for Intel and AMD new platforms, positioning it for future growth.

China's display makers raise billions to close the OLED gap — and South Korea is watching

Levi Li — Sat, 11 Jul 2026 03:42:08 GMT

Chinese display panel and materials companies are tapping capital markets to fund next-generation OLED, oxide and Mini LED technologies, drawing close attention from South Korea's display industry.

Amtran posts 13% 1H26 revenue growth citing product mix shift

DIGITIMES — Sat, 11 Jul 2026 03:41:54 GMT

Amtran Technology reported a June 2026 consolidated revenue of NT$2.5 billion (US$78.0 million), up 23% from a year earlier, as the Taiwanese display and peripherals maker said its product mix transformation continued to support growth. The company also said that every month in the first half of 2026 delivered year-over-year gains.

Laster lifts second-quarter revenue 13% as new vehicle launches approach

DIGITIMES — Sat, 11 Jul 2026 03:41:42 GMT

LED automotive lighting module maker Laster reported June consolidated revenue of NT$500 million (US$15.58 million), down 31.67% from May and 29.48% year on year. Even so, second-quarter revenue climbed 13.30% to NT$1.92 billion, as the company prepared for new vehicle mass production in the second half and an initial move into the robotics module market.

Mobilint touts NPU for physical AI, with CEO urging South Korea to accelerate development

Rodney Chan — Sat, 11 Jul 2026 03:41:28 GMT

South Korean AI semiconductor startup Mobilint is gaining traction in physical AI with its neural processing units (NPU) for edge devices, as the AI boom spreads from cloud computing into robots, autonomous vehicles and drones. Mobilint CEO Shin Dong-joo (transliterated from Korean) and other industry figures say the next two to three years will be a crucial window for South Korea to capture the physical AI market through NPU technology.

Apple sues OpenAI as its own suppliers Foxconn and Luxshare line up behind a rival device

DIGITIMES — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 23:01:50 GMT

Apple's decision to sue OpenAI for trade-secret theft does more than escalate a soured partnership between two of technology's most influential companies. It injects legal uncertainty into OpenAI's push to build its own consumer hardware — an effort a growing roster of Asian suppliers has already begun to serve, and it lands just as the AI developer approaches a closely watched initial public offering.

China's temporary helium export ban signals fears of a prolonged Middle East supply squeeze

DIGITIMES — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 15:04:52 GMT

China moved on July 10 to wall off its domestic supply of helium, a gas with no substitute in chipmaking and medical imaging, in a step that suggests Beijing does not expect Middle East supply risks to ease quickly — and one that could tighten an already strained global market.

China recovers Long March 10B booster in reusable rocket milestone

DIGITIMES — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 14:55:10 GMT

China marked a major step in rocket reusability on July 10, 2026, after successfully recovering the first-stage booster of its Long March 10B rocket following an orbital launch mission.

Nvidia’s Jensen Huang heads to Japan with RTX Spark as AI PC competition heats up

DIGITIMES — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 14:53:53 GMT

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang will travel to Japan for an event celebrating the US chipmaker's three-decade relationship with Sega, revisiting a partnership that helped Nvidia survive its difficult early years as semiconductor competition expands from data centers to personal computers.

Largan samples CPO product in July 2026, eyes GC edge

Charlene Chen — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 09:20:07 GMT

Largan said on July 9, 2026, that it will formally begin sampling fiber array (FA) products for a mass-production customer in July, while chairman En-Ping Lin outlined the company's advantages in common packaging optics (CPO) amid market attention on Corning's Glass Bridge technology.

SK Hynix breaks Alibaba's US listing record — but HBM customers will wait until 2028 for the capacity it funds

DIGITIMES — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 09:12:22 GMT

SK Hynix has priced a US$26.5 billion Nasdaq offering, giving the world's leading supplier of high-bandwidth memory fresh capital to expand DRAM wafer production, advanced packaging and leading-edge manufacturing equipment at the same time.

ASE Holdings posts record 2Q26 revenue, bets US$40M on South Korea as AI packaging demand surges

Levi Li — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 09:00:42 GMT

ASE Holdings posted record second-quarter and first-half 2026 revenue, driven by strong demand for advanced semiconductor packaging and testing, conventional backend services and AI-related applications. June revenue reached its second-highest monthly level on record, while quarterly growth exceeded the company's previous guidance.

Nanya Technology posts record profit as gross margin nears 80%

Sherri Wang — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 08:56:28 GMT

Nanya Technology posted record quarterly profit after a more than 60% rise in average DRAM selling prices lifted its gross margin to 79.5%, with the Taiwanese memory chipmaker expecting prices and margins to improve further in the second half.

Sigurd posts record second quarter revenue as Hsinchu plant starts ramping up

DIGITIMES — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 08:52:48 GMT

Sigurd said its revenue hit a record in the second quarter of 2026 and for the first half of the year, driven by stronger demand from overseas customers. June sales stayed at a high level, while the share of overseas revenue continued to rise as a major foreign client expanded capacity.

Acer unit Highpoint posts record first-half revenue on Asia-Pacific growth

Sherri Wang — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 08:51:52 GMT

Highpoint Service Network (HSN), a subsidiary of Acer, posted record revenue for the second quarter and first half of 2026 as sales grew across its Asia-Pacific operations.

Wolfspeed challenges Navitas over GaN and SiC patent boundaries

DIGITIMES — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 08:40:04 GMT

Wolfspeed's patent lawsuit against Navitas Semiconductor has opened a new front in the wide-bandgap power chip race, extending the legal fight across both gallium nitride and silicon carbide just as AI data centers, EVs and energy infrastructure raise the value of power-device IP.

Samsung plans new PC chip in push beyond smartphones

DIGITIMES — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 08:37:57 GMT

Samsung Electronics is developing a new chip for personal computers (PCs) as its System LSI business seeks growth beyond smartphone processors, according to ET News and the Korea Economic Daily, citing industry sources.

Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max BOM could jump US$300 as memory costs soar

DIGITIMES — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 08:13:22 GMT

New figures from Counterpoint Research estimate that the bill of materials (BOM) for the upcoming iPhone 18 Pro Max could rise nearly US$300 compared with the iPhone 17 Pro Max released in September last year. Ballooning memory costs largely account for this increase, although Apple may be better placed than most other smartphone brands to weather such price hikes.

Smartphone financing set to cover 42% of India sales in 2026

DIGITIMES — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 07:30:00 GMT

India's smartphone buyers are increasingly turning to financing, a shift that could shape device sales patterns in other price-sensitive markets as well. Higher handset prices and easier installment options are making monthly payments more attractive than one-time purchases, especially beyond major cities, according to Counterpoint Research.

Insight: TSMC's 2nm lead widens, Intel 14A slips beyond 2030, Samsung 4nm fills on HBM4 demand

Levi Li — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 07:15:00 GMT

Samsung Electronics' preliminary earnings have shaken financial markets. Drawing on a report from a US brokerage, DIGITIMES Intelligence analyst Luke Lin examined the actual progress of advanced-node capacity expansion at TSMC, Intel, and Samsung, arguing that market expectations in several areas have run ahead of reality.

SK AI Summit postponed as SK eyes closer alignment with Nvidia GTC

Scarlett Yu — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 07:06:06 GMT

SK Group, which hosts the annual SK AI Summit as its flagship technology event to showcase its latest AI and semiconductor developments, is reportedly postponing the 2026 edition. Originally scheduled for the second half of 2026, the event is now expected to take place in the first half of 2027. Industry sources believe the move is intended to better align the summit with Nvidia GTC, which is held each March.

Asus June revenue tops NT$100 billion as AI servers drive growth outlook

DIGITIMES — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 07:02:34 GMT

Asus reported June 2026 group revenue of NT$106.72 billion (US$3.3 billion), crossing the NT$100 billion threshold for the first time, as strong demand for AI servers continued to lift results. The company said June and the second quarter both set record highs for group and brand revenue, underscoring how it has turned market volatility into growth.

Apple's US$30 billion Broadcom deal puts its server-chip plans back in focus

DIGITIMES — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 07:00:00 GMT

Apple and Broadcom have extended their custom-chip partnership through 2031 under agreements expected to exceed US$30 billion, reinforcing Broadcom's position as a critical Apple chip supplier.

Taiwan firms race ahead on AI agents, raising governance stakes

Jingyue Hsiao — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 05:58:39 GMT

Taiwanese companies are adopting AI agents faster than expected, according to a new IDC survey that found 57% have already deployed them, well above the 36% Asia-Pacific average. For global readers, the pace signals how quickly agentic AI may reshape business operations, governance, and competition worldwide.