DIGITIMES Asia: News and Insight of the Global Supply Chain

Apple's first foldable iPhone reportedly on track for September 2026 launch

DIGITIMES — Sun, 28 Jun 2026 02:53:13 GMT

Apple's long-rumored foldable iPhone remains on schedule for a September 2026 debut, despite earlier reports that hinge-related issues could delay the device's release.

Rakuten, AST SpaceMobile JV aims to break Starlink's grip on Japan's satellite market

DIGITIMES — Sun, 28 Jun 2026 02:52:53 GMT

Japan's Rakuten Group plans to establish a new joint venture with US-based AST SpaceMobile in 2026 to build a dedicated low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite communications network for Japan, according to reports by Nikkei and Yomiuri.

LG Chem weighs CCL expansion as AI chip demand strains supply

DIGITIMES — Sun, 28 Jun 2026 02:52:37 GMT

LG Chem is discussing whether to expand production of copper-clad laminate, or CCL, a core material used in semiconductor packaging, as demand tied to artificial intelligence chips accelerates, Herald Business reported.

Kaori fuel cell orders extend to 1 year; expanding capacity in Taiwan and overseas

Emily Kuo — Sun, 28 Jun 2026 02:52:22 GMT

Fuel cells are emerging as one of the key solutions for future energy supply. Kaori Heat Treatment, one of the suppliers in the Bloom Energy supply chain, said that its fuel cell order visibility has extended from the previous six months to one year. To meet growing demand for fuel cells, liquid cooling systems, and plate heat exchangers, the company plans simultaneous capacity expansions in Kaohsiung, Taoyuan, Taiwan, and Thailand.

2nm advanced process waste surges 13x, Techzone targets semiconductor ESG waste treatment market

Emily Kuo — Sun, 28 Jun 2026 02:51:53 GMT

As advanced semiconductor processes rapidly transition from 28nm to 3nm and 2nm nodes, more frequent chemical cleaning procedures are driving an increase in demand for liquid chemical waste treatment. Techzone Chairman Chen Li-Li said that semiconductor companies are currently pursuing two major approaches in response to ESG requirements: first, establishing outsourced waste treatment channels; and second, building in-house zero-waste centers to process waste within their own facilities. Both approaches involve close cooperation with Techzone.

Trusval reports record 2025 profit, eyes global growth in 2026

Jingyue Hsiao — Sun, 28 Jun 2026 02:51:36 GMT

Trusval Technology reported record 2025 revenue and profit, signaling stronger demand for semiconductor-related construction and industrial systems that matter to global supply chains. The Taiwan-based company said it is entering 2026 with cautious optimism, as it expands green fab solutions, overseas projects, and technology upgrades.

Sunrise builds integrated energy platform as AI data center demand rises

Jingyue Hsiao — Sun, 28 Jun 2026 02:51:08 GMT

Sino-American Silicon (SAS) Products' Sunrise is expanding its integrated smart energy business as artificial intelligence (AI) and data center demand for high-performance computing drives higher electricity demand worldwide. The company said its combined offering could help global firms secure greener, more resilient power supplies while meeting net-zero, RE100, and supply-chain carbon goals.

Smartwatch sales return to growth as AI and health features lift demand

DIGITIMES — Sun, 28 Jun 2026 02:50:49 GMT

Smartwatch sales slowed in 2024, but global demand has returned to growth in 2025, and first-quarter 2026 sales are still rising year on year. For consumers worldwide, the shift suggests that AI, health monitoring, and premium upgrades are helping the category resist broader weakness in consumer electronics markets.

AI attacks scale up as annual security checks lag

Rodney Chan — Sun, 28 Jun 2026 02:50:37 GMT

AI is reshaping cyber offense and defense at an unprecedented pace, shrinking attack preparation that once took hackers weeks or months and making threats easier to scale. As a result, companies are facing a more complex and less predictable threat environment, while annual cybersecurity verification is increasingly unable to keep up.

Aleees shifts to in-house manufacturing after US order opens North American push

Jingyue Hsiao — Sun, 28 Jun 2026 02:50:17 GMT

Taiwanese lithium-iron phosphate cathode maker Aleees is changing course after winning a major US order, moving away from licensing its technology and toward in-house production. The shift reflects tighter US supply-chain demands, rising demand from energy storage and artificial intelligence data centers, and growing competition among non-Chinese suppliers globally.

CALIN shifts into land, sea, air and space markets as Starlink samples move forward

DIGITIMES — Sun, 28 Jun 2026 02:49:46 GMT

CALIN is expanding its business beyond traditional optics, aiming to serve land, sea, air, and outer-space applications to support growth as older product lines mature. The Taiwan lens maker said the strategy could matter for global customers tracking drones, satellites, agriculture, and industrial monitoring technologies.

The Tata Electronics leak is overwhelmingly an Apple data set, file index shows

DIGITIMES — Sat, 27 Jun 2026 08:38:00 GMT

Tata Electronics, the Indian contract manufacturer that assembles iPhones and supplies other global technology companies, has confirmed a cybersecurity incident after the extortion group World Leaks published more than 630 gigabytes of data taken from the company's systems. The cache, posted on the group's dark-web leak site, contains 204,341 files and folders drawn from Tata Electronics' internal file servers.

JCET's US$1.1bn expansion shows where China's AI chip crunch is moving

DIGITIMES — Sat, 27 Jun 2026 08:30:46 GMT

China's AI chip race is pushing the semiconductor bottleneck into advanced packaging and testing, where HPC, HBM, Chiplets and domestic substitution are driving a new capacity cycle.

Apple's reported 1.4nm roadmap signals prolonged race for advanced-node capacity

Scarlett Yu — Sat, 27 Jun 2026 08:30:38 GMT

Apple is reportedly considering adopting 1.4nm process technology for its flagship smartphone SoCs as early as 2028, implying that flagship chips built on the 2nm generation could have a lifecycle of only about two years.

Hanmi targets advanced packaging market with FC Bonder 3.5

DIGITIMES — Sat, 27 Jun 2026 08:30:27 GMT

Hanmi Semiconductor has launched FC Bonder 3.5, a new flip-chip bonding tool for AI system semiconductor packaging, as the South Korean equipment maker looks to broaden its advanced packaging business beyond TC bonders for high-bandwidth memory and supply global foundry and OSAT customers, ETNews and Yonhap reported.

US backs I-Pulse's $250M plan to use pulsed power for geothermal drilling

DIGITIMES — Sat, 27 Jun 2026 08:30:19 GMT

A US$250 million award for I-Pulse's semiconductor and pulsed power research could have implications far beyond the US, potentially affecting energy, mining, defense, and chip supply chains used by industries worldwide. The funding is aimed at domestic capacity, but the technologies being developed may shape global competition and access.

ShunSin sees CPO potential, adds TSMC veterans as independents

Charlene Chen — Sat, 27 Jun 2026 08:30:09 GMT

ShunSin, a Foxconn-affiliated packaging and testing company, held its 2026 annual general meeting, with chairman Shang-Yi Chiang presiding. Chiang said ShunSin will leverage its packaging, testing, and optoelectronic integration capabilities under Foxconn's "3+3+3" strategy to seize advanced packaging opportunities in AI optical communications.

Taiwan motorcycle maker SYM's profit falls in 2025 despite record market share

Jingyue Hsiao — Sat, 27 Jun 2026 08:29:59 GMT

SYM said its 2025 results held up despite global tariff shifts and supply-chain disruption, highlighting resilient motorcycle sales in Taiwan and overseas. For global readers, the outlook signals how trade policy uncertainty is reshaping demand, while also showing how companies are leaning on product launches and disciplined management to support growth.

LG pushes robot strategy from home to factory; data shortage remains a challenge

Kevin Wang — Sat, 27 Jun 2026 08:29:41 GMT

LG Electronics has in recent years expanded its push into physical AI, building an end-to-end robotics value chain under its "One LG" strategy comprising other units across the group, with products ranging from the CLOiD home robot to the LG AXIUM robotic actuator. However, the lack of robot motion data remains its biggest bottleneck.

AI-driven chip demand tightens air and sea freight capacity and lifts rates

DIGITIMES — Sat, 27 Jun 2026 08:29:29 GMT

AI and semiconductor shipments are tightening global freight markets, with air cargo space in short supply and US-bound sea routes crowded. Lower fuel surcharges may ease some costs, but strong export demand from technology supply chains is expected to keep shipping prices firm through the peak season.

DrayTek's revenue slide drags into 2026, company pins hopes on Wi-Fi 7 and cybersecurity

DIGITIMES — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 18:56:00 GMT

Taiwan networking equipment maker DrayTek held its shareholders' meeting on June 26, acknowledging its 2025 business and financial reports along with its profit distribution plan.

MediaTek frames orbit compute and NTN as next strategic R&D priorities

DIGITIMES — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 18:55:00 GMT

MediaTek hosted MARC Workshop 2026 on June 24 through the MediaTek Advanced Research Center (MARC), recognizing the year's university-industry collaboration outcomes while outlining forward-looking R&D priorities in AI, satellite communications and next-generation connectivity.

SK On completes China battery joint-venture restructuring with Eve Energy

DIGITIMES — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 18:55:00 GMT

South Korean battery maker SK On has completed a share swap with China's Eve Energy, giving it full ownership of a battery manufacturing joint venture in Yancheng, Jiangsu province, as the company continues efforts to streamline operations and ease financial pressure.

Zettabyte urges new standard for quality AI compute as demand surges over two years

DIGITIMES — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 18:55:00 GMT

AI infrastructure firm Zettabyte said AI token generation exploded more than 330-fold over two years and urged that compute be measured by delivered useful work rather than raw hardware specs or hourly price. According to Alphabet's Google, monthly AI token generation grew from about 9.7 trillion to more than 3.2 quadrillion, and Zettabyte presented its quality-compute framework at a seminar hosted by Taiwan's Industrial Technology Research Institute.

Samsung SDI targets US battery supply chains with US$20M Forge Nano investment

DIGITIMES — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 09:16:17 GMT

Samsung SDI, a battery and electronic materials manufacturer, has entered an agreement to help US-based Forge Nano build a 3 GWh per year battery manufacturing site in Morrisville, North Carolina. The deal capitalizes on both Samsung's desire to avoid US tariffs and the American military's goal to develop non-China supply chains, including in batteries.

SK Hynix fluorine leaks trigger safety inspections at 25 South Korean chip plants

Charlene Chen — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 08:35:58 GMT

South Korea's Ministry of Employment and Labor has launched chemical safety inspections at 25 semiconductor manufacturers, including SK Hynix, after a series of fluorine gas leaks at chip plants raised fresh concerns over industrial accidents.

Inside Corning: a century of R&D bets, and why optical fiber is paying off again

Scarlett Yu — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 07:15:53 GMT

Preface

Taiwan IPC maker IEI Integration's margin fell to 28% in Q1, but rebound is coming

Jingyue Hsiao — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 07:08:24 GMT

IEI Integration said its first-quarter margin was squeezed by higher component costs and a changing product mix, but it expects a second-quarter rebound as high-end video conferencing shipments ramp up. The outlook matters for global industrial and enterprise technology buyers facing tighter supply, shifting production, and uneven demand across markets.

Acer's distribution arm bets on MacBook Neo, software to offset weak PC demand

Levi Li — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 07:06:12 GMT

Acer channel arm Weblink International remains upbeat on the second half of 2026, even as the PC industry looks increasingly likely to see weaker demand than in the first half.

Samsung eyes Gwangju chip site as SK Hynix weighs regional and overseas options

DIGITIMES — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 07:03:57 GMT

South Korea's plan to push semiconductor investment beyond the greater Seoul area is taking clearer shape, with Samsung Electronics reportedly moving closer to a new chip hub in Gwangju while SK Hynix continues to weigh a site in South Jeolla Province against overseas investment options.

Qualcomm HBC takes aim at HBM costs in AI data centers

Levi Li — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 06:57:41 GMT

Qualcomm has unveiled its latest AI data center platform, Dragonfly, at its annual investor day, highlighting a new technology it calls High Bandwidth Compute, or HBC, as a key weapon in its challenge to Nvidia, AMD and AI chip startups.

Agility Robotics IPO strengthens Foxconn's long-term robotics ambitions

Scarlett Yu — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 06:51:16 GMT

Humanoid robotics and physical AI pioneer Agility Robotics has announced plans to pursue a public listing, drawing significant attention from global capital markets and the technology industry. Behind the IPO, however, lies a notable Taiwanese supply-chain presence that adds broader strategic significance to the company's public market debut.

Seres' US$25bn wipeout tests the price of Huawei's EV halo

DIGITIMES — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 06:44:56 GMT

Seres Group, once the clearest listed proxy for Huawei's EV ambitions, has lost more than CNY180 billion (US$25 billion) in A-share market value from its peak, despite strong sales and profit.

Z.ai's HK$1tn rally tests China AI boom: model leap or market mirage?

DIGITIMES — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 06:43:41 GMT

Chinese AI startup Z.ai, also known as Zhipu AI, has turned GLM-5.2 into the clearest test yet of China's frontier AI gap with Anthropic and OpenAI. Its stock surge is now raising a second question: whether investors are pricing a real technology shift or a thin-float capital-market fever.

Global intelligent eyewear market surges as AR and smart glasses gain ground

DIGITIMES — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 06:41:08 GMT

Global demand for intelligent eyewear is rising fast, with shipments jumping 83% in the first quarter of 2026, according to Counterpoint Research. For readers worldwide, the shift signals a faster move toward AI-enabled wearables, while VR headsets continue to struggle with weak demand and slower product refreshes.

DIGITIMES Asia: News and Insight of the Global Supply Chain

Apple's first foldable iPhone reportedly on track for September 2026 launch

Rakuten, AST SpaceMobile JV aims to break Starlink's grip on Japan's satellite market

LG Chem weighs CCL expansion as AI chip demand strains supply

Kaori fuel cell orders extend to 1 year; expanding capacity in Taiwan and overseas

2nm advanced process waste surges 13x, Techzone targets semiconductor ESG waste treatment market

Trusval reports record 2025 profit, eyes global growth in 2026

Sunrise builds integrated energy platform as AI data center demand rises

Smartwatch sales return to growth as AI and health features lift demand

AI attacks scale up as annual security checks lag

Aleees shifts to in-house manufacturing after US order opens North American push

CALIN shifts into land, sea, air and space markets as Starlink samples move forward

The Tata Electronics leak is overwhelmingly an Apple data set, file index shows

JCET's US$1.1bn expansion shows where China's AI chip crunch is moving

Apple's reported 1.4nm roadmap signals prolonged race for advanced-node capacity

Hanmi targets advanced packaging market with FC Bonder 3.5

US backs I-Pulse's $250M plan to use pulsed power for geothermal drilling

ShunSin sees CPO potential, adds TSMC veterans as independents

Taiwan motorcycle maker SYM's profit falls in 2025 despite record market share

LG pushes robot strategy from home to factory; data shortage remains a challenge

AI-driven chip demand tightens air and sea freight capacity and lifts rates

DrayTek's revenue slide drags into 2026, company pins hopes on Wi-Fi 7 and cybersecurity

MediaTek frames orbit compute and NTN as next strategic R&amp;D priorities

SK On completes China battery joint-venture restructuring with Eve Energy

Zettabyte urges new standard for quality AI compute as demand surges over two years

Samsung SDI targets US battery supply chains with US$20M Forge Nano investment

SK Hynix fluorine leaks trigger safety inspections at 25 South Korean chip plants

Inside Corning: a century of R&amp;D bets, and why optical fiber is paying off again

Taiwan IPC maker IEI Integration's margin fell to 28% in Q1, but rebound is coming

Acer's distribution arm bets on MacBook Neo, software to offset weak PC demand

Samsung eyes Gwangju chip site as SK Hynix weighs regional and overseas options

Qualcomm HBC takes aim at HBM costs in AI data centers

Agility Robotics IPO strengthens Foxconn's long-term robotics ambitions

Seres' US$25bn wipeout tests the price of Huawei's EV halo

Z.ai's HK$1tn rally tests China AI boom: model leap or market mirage?

Global intelligent eyewear market surges as AR and smart glasses gain ground

MediaTek frames orbit compute and NTN as next strategic R&D priorities

Inside Corning: a century of R&D bets, and why optical fiber is paying off again