DIGITIMES: News and Insight of the Global Supply Chain

ByteDance's new "watch and listen" AI signals a broader Chinese push beyond chatbots

DIGITIMES — Thu, 6 Aug 2026 02:02:11 GMT

ByteDance's Seed research team has released SeedRealtime. This native audio-visual full-duplex large language model, the company says, marks the industry's first large-scale deployment of audio-video full-duplex technology. The launch, announced August 5 on the Seed team's blog, points to where Chinese AI labs are increasingly competing: not just on text benchmarks, but on how naturally a model can see, hear, and respond in real time.

India proposes extension for electronics manufacturing tax breaks and loosening data center rules in new bill

DIGITIMES — Thu, 6 Aug 2026 01:46:04 GMT

India's Taxation and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026, gives foreign suppliers to the country's electronics contract manufacturers a decade of extra tax certainty and removes some of the approval hurdles that had constrained foreign cloud and data-center operators, according to the bill text introduced in the Lok Sabha (the Lower House of India) on July 31, 2026, by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

Sandisk leans on multi-year supply deals as it bets on AI-driven NAND supercycle

DIGITIMES — Thu, 6 Aug 2026 01:35:31 GMT

Sandisk closed its fiscal 2026 with record revenue, gross margin, and earnings per share. Still, the bigger story for investors is how much of the company's future business is now locked into long-term contracts, according to the company's fourth-quarter earnings call on August 5, 2026.

WD points to HAMR ramp and long-term contracts as pricing power builds

DIGITIMES — Thu, 6 Aug 2026 01:35:15 GMT

At its fiscal fourth-quarter 2026 earnings call on August 5, Western Digital (WD) laid out a near-term growth strategy centered on higher-capacity hard disk drives and multiyear customer contracts, even as executives acknowledged a quarter-on-quarter slowdown in exabyte shipment growth.

Sandisk's data center pivot drives record quarter as AI-fueled NAND shortage reshapes storage market

DIGITIMES — Thu, 6 Aug 2026 01:14:25 GMT

Sandisk reported fiscal fourth-quarter and full-year 2026 results on August 5 that underscore how thoroughly artificial intelligence (AI) demand has reshaped the NAND flash memory business, with the company's data center segment emerging as its primary growth engine and management locking in tens of billions of dollars in multi-year customer commitments to protect against the industry's traditionally volatile pricing cycles.

WD posts record fiscal fourth quarter as AI-driven demand for high-capacity drives accelerates

DIGITIMES — Thu, 6 Aug 2026 01:13:58 GMT

On August 5, Western Digital (WD) closed its fiscal 2026 with a fourth quarter that underscored how thoroughly artificial intelligence buildouts have reshaped the hard-disk-drive (HDD) market.

Google's AI leadership shake-up puts Gemini execution and research retention under pressure

DIGITIMES — Thu, 6 Aug 2026 01:00:07 GMT

Google is restructuring the leadership of its AI division at a moment when the company can least afford instability at the top of its research organization, with chief scientist Jeff Dean departing after 27 years and Demis Hassabis stepping back from day-to-day control of Google DeepMind.

US weighs Chinese optical transceiver ban, putting AI data center supply at risk

DIGITIMES — Thu, 6 Aug 2026 00:03:05 GMT

The Trump administration is preparing to extend US technology restrictions deeper into the artificial intelligence supply chain, with the Federal Communications Commission considering a ban on new Chinese-made optical transceiver models used in data centers.

Taiwan's KOYO-1 satellite validates homegrown FOG technology, opening doors to global space supply chains

Scarlett Yu — Thu, 6 Aug 2026 00:02:42 GMT

Taiwan's aerospace industry has reached another milestone with the successful launch of the KOYO-1 CubeSat in July 2026, helping local suppliers advance further into the global space supply chain.

China automakers struggle as margins plunge and battery supply chains skew

Lily Hess — Thu, 6 Aug 2026 00:02:22 GMT

China's automakers are still betting on a strategy of in-house batteries to complement their complete vehicle lineups, but the push remains hard to execute as profit margins slide and the supply chain stays structurally unbalanced. The challenge comes as upstream miners, refiners, and lithium battery makers capture most of the gains while carmakers face intensifying competition.

Tung Yang July revenue rises 23% on stronger AM and OEM demand

DIGITIMES — Thu, 6 Aug 2026 00:02:04 GMT

Auto parts maker Tung Yang reported July consolidated revenue of NT$2.036 billion, up 23% from a year earlier and a record for the same month. The Taiwanese supplier said cumulative revenue for the first seven months reached NT$13.33 billion as tariff pressure on exports to the US eased and customer orders began to recover.

FOPLP leads production as CoPoS advances glass packaging

Lily Hess — Thu, 6 Aug 2026 00:01:38 GMT

AI chip computing power is rising rapidly, pushing advanced packaging toward larger form factors, higher bandwidth, and greater integration. Traditional Ajinomoto build-up film (ABF) substrates and silicon interposers are increasingly hitting bottlenecks in cost, warpage, and packaging efficiency, making glass substrates and glass interposers a key focus in next-generation advanced packaging plans.

Memory shortages squeeze smartphone shipments, leaving Chinese brands to sell the AI upgrade

Levi Li — Thu, 6 Aug 2026 00:01:19 GMT

The global smartphone market is approaching an unusual turning point in the second half of 2026. Artificial intelligence has become the industry's preferred growth narrative, while reports that Apple and Samsung Electronics are considering memory components from Chinese suppliers also reflect a market under mounting strain.

DRAM price surge lifts Samsung and Micron as SK Hynix loses share

Sherri Wang — Thu, 6 Aug 2026 00:00:42 GMT

Samsung Electronics and Micron Technology are benefiting more strongly from rising conventional DRAM and NAND prices than SK Hynix, whose focus on high-bandwidth memory (HBM) has slowed the expansion of its traditional DRAM business despite its leadership in HBM.

Dark fiber essential for next-gen distributed AI centers

Rodney Chan — Thu, 6 Aug 2026 00:00:23 GMT

All-photonic networks (APN) are emerging as critical infrastructure for 6G, AI computing and smart cities. Nvidia's plan to expand its AI footprint in the US underscores why dark fiber is essential for distributed AI computing centers, according to Chau-Lyan Chang, director general of Taiwan's National Center for High-performance Computing (NCHC).

Interview: Ayar Labs CEO sees CPO scale-up volumes rising in 2028-2029

Jingyue Hsiao — Thu, 6 Aug 2026 00:00:01 GMT

The 2026 Open Compute Project (OCP) APAC Summit will be held in Taipei on August 11-12, bringing together global cloud service providers (CSPs), semiconductor firms, silicon photonics (SiPh) players, system makers and many Taiwanese suppliers to share the latest developments in compute architecture. Ayar Labs CEO Mark Wade, who will attend the event and spoke with DIGITIMES ahead of the summit, said Taiwan's supply chain is critical to the development of co-packaged optics (CPO) and that scale-up deployment is on track to ramp up 2028-2029.

Microdisplay advances push AR glasses closer to mainstream adoption

DIGITIMES — Wed, 5 Aug 2026 23:59:40 GMT

Taiwanese supply-chain players said new microdisplay designs and optical simulation tools are accelerating consumer augmented reality (AR) glasses adoption as the market shifts toward lighter devices, higher image quality, and better optical efficiency. The comments were tied to ongoing development in smart glasses and spatial computing, where hardware performance remains a central hurdle.

China auto exports shift production and pressure suppliers in the first half of 2026

DIGITIMES — Wed, 5 Aug 2026 23:59:08 GMT

China’s auto industry shifted sharply in the first half of 2026 as export growth offset weakening domestic demand, pushing production toward export-connected manufacturing hubs and putting suppliers in slower regions under pressure. The change was most visible in provinces with strong logistics links and export-oriented automakers, while areas tied to aging gasoline vehicle programs lost ground.

Fositek lifts server revenue mix to 56% and plans capacity expansion

DIGITIMES — Wed, 5 Aug 2026 23:58:34 GMT

Fositek said AI-driven demand increased the share of server-related products in its revenue mix in the second quarter of 2026 and helped improve profitability even as overall sales declined during a product transition period. The Taiwanese supplier said server-related products accounted for 55.7% of first-half revenue at the end of the quarter, up from 19.2% a year earlier, while it prepared to expand manufacturing in China and Vietnam.

Chicony Power wins US communications customer as AI server products move toward production

DIGITIMES — Wed, 5 Aug 2026 23:58:13 GMT

Chicony Power Technology Co. said on Aug. 4 that stronger demand for communication and server power improved its second-quarter 2026 product mix, even as higher raw material costs and a firmer Chinese yuan (CNY) pressured margins. The Taiwan-based power supply maker said operating profit fell more than 40% quarter-over-quarter, but non-operating gains helped lift earnings per share and support a stronger first-half result.

HTC reports NT$280 million loss as AI glasses and XR products expand

DIGITIMES — Wed, 5 Aug 2026 23:57:55 GMT

HTC reported a net loss of NT$280 million (US$8.6 million) attributable to parent company owners for the second quarter of 2026 on August 4, with revenue of NT$610 million (US$18.8 million). The company also posted a gross margin of 42.6%, while operating loss widened to NT$570 million and operating margin fell to -93.2%.

Adlink posts record second-quarter revenue on AI edge computing demand

DIGITIMES — Wed, 5 Aug 2026 23:57:30 GMT

Adlink reported record second-quarter 2026 revenue of NT$4.459 billion (approx. US$138 million), lifted by demand in AI edge computing and intelligent edge applications. The industrial PC maker said it will keep expanding in healthcare, semiconductor automation, robotics, and new energy as it pushes deeper into edge-based AI markets.

Myson Century expands health supplement business into Malaysia

DIGITIMES — Wed, 5 Aug 2026 23:57:09 GMT

Myson Century is taking its Chun Ho Biotech brand overseas through an expansion into Malaysia as part of a broader push to build a one-stop health and wellness ecosystem. The Taiwanese group said it is using a puzzle-style merger and acquisitions strategy to connect raw material development, contract development and manufacturing services, brand operations, and channel sales.

Wistron reports strong first-half profit and expands AI capex in Taiwan and the US

DIGITIMES — Wed, 5 Aug 2026 23:56:11 GMT

Wistron said on August 4 that it delivered strong first-half 2026 results and expects artificial intelligence demand to remain robust in the second half. The Taiwan-based electronics manufacturer also approved additional capital spending in Taiwan, the US, and Vietnam as it prepared for further AI-related capacity expansion.

GlobalWafers says AI demand is lifting utilization and new LTA talks are underway

DIGITIMES — Wed, 5 Aug 2026 23:55:42 GMT

GlobalWafers said semiconductor demand has rebounded as AI and high-performance computing applications expanded, keeping its factories highly utilized and prompting a new round of long-term supply agreement talks. The Taiwan-based wafer supplier also said tighter supply could push spot prices higher in the second half of 2026.

Mitsubishi Electric, Daikin expand US production to meet data center cooling demand

DIGITIMES — Wed, 5 Aug 2026 09:22:27 GMT

Mitsubishi Electric is establishing a cooling-equipment production company in Ohio, joining Daikin Industries in bringing manufacturing closer to US data center customers as delivery times, tariffs and local service become more important competitive factors.

Foxconn revenue tops nearly US$30B for first time, with 3Q growth in sight

Levi Li — Wed, 5 Aug 2026 09:16:00 GMT

Foxconn reported consolidated revenue of NT$946.51 billion (approx. US$29.37 billion) for July 2026, up 15.18% from the previous month and 54.19% from a year earlier. The result marked a record monthly high and the first time the group's revenue exceeded NT$900 billion. In US dollar terms, July revenue rose about 13.6% month on month and 43.1% year on year.

Infineon sees AI demand outpacing supply as customers lock in long-term capacity

DIGITIMES — Wed, 5 Aug 2026 09:06:53 GMT

Infineon said demand for its AI data center power semiconductors continues to exceed available supply, prompting leading customers to sign multi-year capacity reservation agreements that give the chipmaker greater visibility while securing future supply for hyperscale AI deployments.

China halts US-based factory audits for CCC certification amid raging tech feud

Joseph(C) Chen — Wed, 5 Aug 2026 09:02:10 GMT

The US-China technology and supply chain conflict has spread to product certification, opening a new front beyond semiconductors and telecom equipment.

China launches 15th Five-Year 'leader' awards on low-carbon credentials

Charlene Chen — Wed, 5 Aug 2026 08:55:00 GMT

China's State Council has launched a new recommendation program for "leader" companies in energy efficiency and carbon efficiency, with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), and the State Administration for Market Regulation jointly issuing the notice on August 4, 2026. The program is designed to push heavy industry to cut energy use and emissions, as low-carbon certification increasingly becomes a key credential for future market competition.

Foldable smartphone shipments are set to rise 20% as Apple enters the market

DIGITIMES — Wed, 5 Aug 2026 08:45:00 GMT

Global foldable smartphone shipments are expected to increase 20% in 2026 from 2025, according to industry players cited in the source, even as the broader handset market faces tighter supply of upstream logic chips and higher memory prices. Samsung Electronics is expected to keep its market lead, while Apple, Huawei, and other brands are set to help drive the category, with the fourth quarter of 2026 described as the most important sales period.

Furukawa Electric to invest JPY100 billion to double rollable ribbon cable capacity in response to data center demand

DIGITIMES — Wed, 5 Aug 2026 08:38:30 GMT

Furukawa Electric said on August 4 that it will invest approximately JPY100 billion (approx.US$630 million) in total to expand production capacity for optical fibers and optical fiber cables, citing sustained growth in demand for high-quality optical fiber cables driven by hyperscale data center buildouts.

Foldable phone demand shifts as wider models challenge flip designs

DIGITIMES — Wed, 5 Aug 2026 08:35:00 GMT

Foldable phone makers are facing a more segmented market as wider book-style devices gain ground and Samsung Electronics expands its lineup, with the next major demand test expected in the fourth quarter of 2026. The changes are already reshaping how foldables are designed, positioned, and sold, while an expected Apple entry could further accelerate the shift.

LG Electronics posts strong second quarter as new businesses drive growth

DIGITIMES — Wed, 5 Aug 2026 08:35:00 GMT

LG Electronics reported consolidated revenue of KRW23.83 trillion (US$16.7 billion) and operating profit of KRW1.58 trillion (US$1.1 billion) in the second quarter of 2026 as AI cooling, automotive, and subscription businesses expanded. The South Korean company said the results reflected efforts to move beyond its traditional appliance base and into broader smart life solutions.

Fanuc raises fiscal 2026 outlook as costs and supply bottlenecks weigh on profits

DIGITIMES — Wed, 5 Aug 2026 08:30:00 GMT

Fanuc said first-quarter orders for fiscal 2026 surged 37% year-on-year to a record JPY281.9 billion, even as the industrial robot maker drew market concern for raising its full-year operating profit forecast by only about 3%. The update came after its July 31 earnings briefing and highlighted strong demand alongside persistent cost pressure.