DIGITIMES Asia: News and Insight of the Global Supply Chain

Apple reportedly explores Intel and Samsung chip production to reshape advanced manufacturing strategy

DIGITIMES — Tue, 5 May 2026 04:21:22 GMT

Apple is exploring a significant shift in its semiconductor supply chain, holding early discussions with Intel and Samsung Electronics to produce the main processors used in its devices, according to Bloomberg. The move would mark a potential diversification away from its long-standing reliance on TSMC, Apple's exclusive partner for more than a decade.

OpenAI, Anthropic race to lock in enterprise AI deals with Wall Street capital

DIGITIMES — Tue, 5 May 2026 04:20:58 GMT

OpenAI and Anthropic are moving in parallel to build new enterprise AI distribution engines, teaming up with some of the world's largest asset managers to accelerate adoption of their models and unlock commercial returns ahead of potential IPOs.

Trump tariff forces Euro carmakers into a two-front squeeze

Jingyue Hsiao — Tue, 5 May 2026 03:59:53 GMT

US President Donald Trump ended the transatlantic tariff truce on May 1 by raising import tariffs on EU-made vehicles and auto parts from 15% back to 25%, with the new rate taking effect on May 4. The abrupt reversal is widening pressure on European automakers already losing ground in China, leaving them squeezed on two fronts.

Taiwan networking vendors lose sync with global rebound, raising competitive and supply risks

Jingyue Hsiao — Tue, 5 May 2026 03:58:24 GMT

The global broadband customer premises equipment market entered a bottoming-and-rebound phase in 2026 after a prolonged inventory correction. Still, Taiwan networking vendors are losing ground as their shipments move out of step with broader market trends, according to a DIGITIMES Research report. The divergence carries implications for market share, pricing power, and supply-chain exposure.

Delta Electronics' security tie-up positions it to push into integrated smart buildings

Jingyue Hsiao — Tue, 5 May 2026 03:37:51 GMT

Delta Electronics has moved to consolidate its security brands, aiming to align AI video analytics and cloud services with its building automation strategy. This shift could accelerate its push into the growing smart building market. The integration brings together VIVOTEK and March Networks to jointly target retail, financial services, transportation, factories, and smart cities.

Taiwan's TCC plots European listing as green revenues overtake home market

Rodney Chan — Tue, 5 May 2026 03:10:44 GMT

Taiwan Cement Corporation (TCC) Group Holdings is evaluating a listing in Europe as it expands its low-carbon cement and green energy businesses across the region. Europe already accounted for 44% of the company's 2025 sales, surpassing Taiwan and other parts of Asia. TCC chairman Nelson An-ping Chang said the company is assessing the move but did not disclose a timetable or details.

Tron Future Tech's T.MicroSat-2 completes downlink verification

DIGITIMES — Tue, 5 May 2026 03:01:06 GMT

Tron Future Tech's successful Ka-band downlink verification for T.MicroSat-1 and T.MicroSat-2 signals progress toward global low-earth-orbit (LEO) communication services, validating Taiwan-made ground terminals and hosted payloads and underscoring potential improvements in satellite rapid-redeployment and space computing reliability for international partners and operators.

Analysis: Big Tech's AI tab tops US$700 billion with Google Cloud pulling ahead — but investors are picking sides

DIGITIMES — Tue, 5 May 2026 02:56:42 GMT

The AI spending arms race just got more expensive — and more consequential.

Nanya Technology's April revenue soars, driven by strong ASP outlook and accelerated expansion efforts

Eifeh Strom — Tue, 5 May 2026 02:53:13 GMT

Nanya Technology reported consolidated revenue of NT$25.49 billion (approx. US$805.3 million) for April 2026, surging 717.33% from NT$3.12 billion a year earlier and 40.29% from March, setting a record high as memory contract prices continue to rise.

Commentary: US auto market faces a three-way vacuum as tariffs deepen imbalances

Jingyue Hsiao — Tue, 5 May 2026 02:51:11 GMT

US President Donald Trump's decision to raise tariffs on European automobiles and parts to 25% is compounding the US car market in the first quarter of 2026, where the absence of subsidies and purchase discounts, and weak purchasing power, are deepening market imbalance. The key variable remains American consumers' real buying power.

Automakers pivot to subscription-ready Level 2 and Level 2+ driver assistance as revenue strategy

Jingyue Hsiao — Tue, 5 May 2026 02:37:01 GMT

Automakers are repositioning advanced driver assistance systems away from optional equipment and toward recurring revenue sources, with a focus on Level 2 and Level 2+ capabilities that can be monetized through feature tiers and subscriptions. These systems are expected to become a central commercial pillar for smart vehicles over the next decade.

Machvision sales hit a record high on strengthening AOI demand

Sherri Wang — Tue, 5 May 2026 02:33:15 GMT

Machvision reported consolidated revenue of about NT$343 million (US$10.84 million) for April 2026, up 1.4% from the previous month and 3.75% from a year earlier, marking another monthly high.

CHPT posts record April revenue on AI-driven HPC demand

Eifeh Strom — Tue, 5 May 2026 02:28:54 GMT

Semiconductor test interface provider Chunghwa Precision Test Tech (CHPT) said its revenue in April 2026 continued to set a new all-time monthly high, driven by rising demand for semiconductor testing linked to artificial intelligence (AI) applications.

DDR6 server memory moves into early development as industry prepares for next-generation AI demand

DIGITIMES — Tue, 5 May 2026 02:27:12 GMT

The development of next-generation server memory DDR6 is reportedly entering early hardware validation, as memory makers and supply chain partners begin pre-development work ahead of formal standardization. The industry is coordinating closely across chip designers, substrate manufacturers, and controller IP providers to prepare for the transition from DDR5, which is now entering maturity in data center deployments.

Intel PC chip roadmap takes shape as Razor Lake, Titan Lake stay on track

Sherri Wang — Tue, 5 May 2026 02:24:15 GMT

Intel is gaining momentum in both chip design and foundry operations. Its PC platform roadmap for the next two years is coming into sharper focus as process technology and yield improve, according to PC supply-chain sources.

MediaTek ASIC surge puts 60% revenue share within reach

Levi Li — Tue, 5 May 2026 02:17:15 GMT

MediaTek raised its outlook for its application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) business during its first-quarter 2026 earnings call, signaling stronger growth prospects and sending a positive shock through the market.

Ubiqconn establishes R&D base in Shalun to build collaborative unmanned vehicle ecosystem

DIGITIMES — Tue, 5 May 2026 01:57:48 GMT

Ubiqconn Technology said it moved into the Shalun Artificial Intelligence Industrial Zone and established an R&D base to create Taiwan's first application ecosystem for a collaborative control platform for unmanned vehicles. The company announced this month its relocation to southern Taiwan to strengthen research and development in unmanned vehicles and edge computing, and to support the government's Big South New Silicon Valley initiative.

Univacco eyes 2027 Vietnam plant ramp-up for CPO and advanced packaging materials

Jingyue Hsiao — Tue, 5 May 2026 01:51:19 GMT

Univacco said its Vietnam plant will begin mass production in the second quarter of 2027 as the company moves to position itself in the co-packaged optics and advanced packaging materials supply chain. The move aims to leverage tariff advantages, lower manufacturing costs, and ample labor to boost overseas competitiveness.

Memory price hikes push smartphone shipments down more sharply than notebooks

DIGITIMES — Tue, 5 May 2026 01:49:31 GMT

Rising memory prices have squeezed handset demand and are expected to widen the gap between smartphone and notebook shipment declines in 2026, according to industry reports. Global smartphone shipments in the first quarter of 2026 totaled about 290 million units, down 2% to 4% year on year, while notebook shipments showed a smaller sequential decline as vendors and channels adjusted to higher component costs.

Ta Tun Electric posts record first quarter revenue and profit on ultra-high-voltage projects

DIGITIMES — Tue, 5 May 2026 01:44:37 GMT

Ta Tun Electric Wire and Cable reported record quarterly revenue, gross margin and profit for the first quarter, driven by sales of ultra-high-voltage products and steady Taiwan Power tenders, the company announced. Leadership said the firm expects a cautious second quarter as Taiwan Power pull-in schedules have shifted but anticipates deferred demand will bolster shipments in the third quarter.

Apple's AI-driven architecture shift could reshape Taiwan supplier roles and industry competition

Jingyue Hsiao — Tue, 5 May 2026 01:38:52 GMT

Apple's product strategy is moving toward an AI-centered architecture, prioritizing on-device intelligence, tighter chip integration, and system-level design, a shift that could change how Taiwan's suppliers compete and collaborate. The company has signaled the direction through recent executive comments and its continued in-house chip work.

AUO to highlight Micro LED, AI and ultra-low-power displays at SID Display Week 2026

DIGITIMES — Tue, 5 May 2026 01:36:38 GMT

Taiwan-based AUO said it will present integrated Micro LED, optics, sensing and AI display technologies at SID Display Week 2026, aiming to demonstrate transparent, interactive and energy-efficient displays for AR, smart mobility and long-duration platforms. The company announced that its exhibits will showcase how Micro LED and advanced packaging can serve as an interaction platform combining AR overlays, gaze and gesture sensing, and on-device AI inference.

Taiwan manufacturing PMI jumps to 60.3% as AI and semiconductors tighten supply

DIGITIMES — Tue, 5 May 2026 01:33:09 GMT

Taiwan's manufacturing purchasing managers index rose to 60.3% in April 2026, marking the seventh consecutive month of expansion and the strongest pace since September 2021, the Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research and the Taiwan Management Institute Taiwan said on May 4. Executives attributed the rise to shifting capacity and price pressures from AI, semiconductors and electronic components, plus pre-buying by manufacturers amid supply tightness and geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.

Onsemi says China remains a strong market despite softer passenger vehicle volumes

DIGITIMES — Tue, 5 May 2026 01:12:09 GMT

Onsemi told investors during its first-quarter 2026 earnings call, held on May 4, that China remains a key growth market for its automotive power products, even as China's passenger vehicle market softened. The company reported that "Our China automotive revenue grew year-over-year in the first quarter, despite a decline in the China passenger vehicle market of 6% for the same period," framing the performance as evidence of rising semiconductor content and share gains within Chinese electric vehicle programs.

Onsemi sees AI data center and Treo driving revenue and margin recovery

DIGITIMES — Tue, 5 May 2026 01:11:31 GMT

During an earnings call on May 4, Onsemi portrayed its artificial intelligence data center business and new Treo platform as central to a recovery that began in the first quarter, saying improving order patterns and product ramps are translating into higher revenue, expanding gross margins, and stronger cash returns to shareholders.

Lattice Semiconductor strikes $1.65B deal for AMI as AI data center demand drives record growth

DIGITIMES — Tue, 5 May 2026 00:58:32 GMT

Lattice Semiconductor has signed a definitive agreement to acquire AMI, a leading provider of platform firmware and infrastructure manageability software, for $1.65 billion. The deal — structured as $1.0 billion in cash and roughly $650 million in Lattice stock — is expected to close in Q3 2026 and would effectively double Lattice's total serviceable addressable market to approximately $12 billion.

Onsemi signals early recovery as AI demand strengthens but profitability remains volatile

DIGITIMES — Tue, 5 May 2026 00:58:17 GMT

Onsemi reported a mixed but generally improving set of first-quarter 2026 results, signaling early signs of recovery in key end markets while highlighting ongoing volatility in profitability.

SignalPro positions itself as 'translator' to enter AI sensing sector, builds own AI data center as model refinery

Jingyue Hsiao — Mon, 4 May 2026 23:53:24 GMT

Amid the rapid advancement of generative AI and the simultaneous rise of autonomous vehicles and robotics, industry competition is shifting away from pure computing power and hardware scaling toward deeper control of "perception capabilities" and "real-world data."

Analysis: How China’s HJT curb accelerates domestic consolidation and redefines solar competition

Jingyue Hsiao — Mon, 4 May 2026 23:53:10 GMT

China is reportedly planning targeted export rules for heterojunction (HJT) solar equipment. The move has sparked broad industry debate in 2026, as energy transition and aerospace development grow increasingly intertwined. More than a trade measure, it reflects a cross-domain effort to protect technological sovereignty and keep core R&D value within China.

Samsung reportedly eyes SiC foundry reboot, targets 2028 mass production

Levi Li — Mon, 4 May 2026 23:47:28 GMT

Samsung Electronics is reportedly restarting its silicon carbide (SiC) wafer foundry business, aiming to tap into the fast-growing next-generation power semiconductor market, reinforce its market position, and improve utilization rates at its existing 8-inch foundry lines. Industry estimates suggest Samsung could enter mass production of SiC chips by 2028.

Malaysia becomes AI data center hub, attracts Chinese cloud giants and Nvidia AI chips

Levi Li — Mon, 4 May 2026 23:47:16 GMT

As power constraints and tighter policy controls in Singapore limit expansion, Malaysia is rapidly emerging as Southeast Asia's most important data center hub. A DIGITIMES research report finds that Chinese cloud service providers (CSPs), including ByteDance and Alibaba, are accelerating their shift southward, using Malaysia's unique supply chain pathways to deploy high-end AI computing power locally, including Nvidia's B200 systems.

'Puzzle-style M&A': Meet the construction firm building an AI ecosystem, one acquisition at a time

Lily Hess — Mon, 4 May 2026 23:47:06 GMT

As AI reshapes industries from healthcare to finance, companies far beyond Silicon Valley are racing to stake their claim — and some of the most ambitious bets are coming from unexpected corners. Sun Yad Construction, a Taiwan-based firm best known for real estate development, is one of them.

Analysis: CoWoS crunch and MediaTek's hire raise a bigger question — can Intel deliver?

Levi Li — Mon, 4 May 2026 23:46:51 GMT

The AI chip race is increasingly running into a different kind of limit — not compute, but packaging, as supply constraints around advanced technologies such as CoWoS begin to tighten.

SK Hynix weighs memory plant shift as HBM demand outlook changes

DIGITIMES — Mon, 4 May 2026 23:46:33 GMT

SK Hynix is considering a shift in its DRAM investment strategy at its new M15X memory production base in Cheongju, South Korea, from fifth-generation 10nm-class, or 1b, DRAM toward sixth-generation 10nm-class, or 1c, DRAM, as the high-bandwidth memory (HBM) supply chain prepares for its next technology transition, according to reports from ZDNet Korea and NewsPim.

Kioxia, SanDisk to unveil 3D flash architecture targeting 1,000-layer milestone

DIGITIMES — Mon, 4 May 2026 23:44:58 GMT

Kioxia and SanDisk are set to present a new 3D flash memory architecture aimed at extending NAND scaling beyond 1,000 stacked layers, as memory makers seek ways to overcome the physical and electrical limits of conventional layer increases.

ADT lands US AI chip deal using Samsung 4nm

DIGITIMES — Mon, 4 May 2026 10:06:20 GMT

ADTechnology said it has signed a KRW40 billion (US$27.1 million) turnkey contract with a US-based AI fabless company to develop and supply HPC SoC chiplets for AI data-center applications using Samsung Foundry's 4nm process.