Member firms of the Foxconn (Hon Hai Precision Industry) camp have completed their initial deployments in the third-generation compound semiconductor SiC (silicon carbide) field, with Taisic Materials engaged in the upstream crystal growth and substrate production, Gigastorage planning to handle SiC wafer cutting, grinding and polishing, and Hon Hai itself on track to operate a SiC wafer foundry at a 6-inch fab purchased from Macronix International in addition to its deep presence in consumer, industrial, automotive and low-orbit satellite applications.

In response to the Indian government's Semiconductor Mission aimed at transforming the nation into a semiconductor powerhouse, several companies have shown interest in establishing assembly, testing, marking, and packaging (ATMP) facilities. Even though there are no definitive plans in place yet, for the most part, the enthusiasm within the industry is palpable, especially as the government promises to offer subsidies and incentives.

For suppliers of GaAs-based RF power amplifiers (PAs), market demand for handsets and other consumer electronics devices will remain weak, but demand for niche-market applications such as aerospace, military, industrial control and infrastructure continue to provide robust momentum, which will help them to offset declines in shipments for consumer applications, according to industry sources.

BOE's Gen 8 IT OLED production line will be stationed in the B16 factory in Chengdu, China. However, rumors came out that although foundation construction has begun, the investments for the Gen 8 IT OLED production line have not yet been approved by the local government. All eyes are on how this situation will develop.

Samsung Display (SDC) has disclosed plans to invest KRW4.1 trillion (US$3.1 billion) in building 8.6G IT-use OLED panel production lines by 2026, but tight supply of the core evaporation equipment and exorbitant quotes from the main supplier Canon Tokki may slow down the progress of the investment project, according to Korean media reports.

The global LCD panel industry will likely see its output value continue to decline in 2023 after suffering a setback in the previous year when the industry's capacity utilization fell sharply due to the impacts of the pandemic, war and rising inflation, according to industry sources.

Apple's new M2-power MacBook Air is slated to be unveiled at WWDC scheduled from June 5–9 with DIGITIMES Research's senior analyst Jim Hsiao expecting the notebook's shipments to reach 2.5–3 million units in 2023.

Global shipments of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) headsets slowed significantly in the first quarter of 2023 as macroeconomic conditions worsened and the market cooled compared to the pandemic-driven highs seen last year. According to new data from the IDC Worldwide Quarterly Augmented and Virtual Reality Headset Tracker, the overall AR/VR headset market declined 54.4% on year in the first quarter of 2023 with VR headsets representing 96.2% of headsets shipped.

The government of Karnataka said that Foxconn will beginning making iPhones in the state in 2024. Xiaomi will expand local sourcing for its smartphones and wearable devices to regain its leadership in India.

With the advent of the B5G (beyond 5G) era, mmWave applications continue to emerge, including IoT demand in smart cities and advanced driving assistance systems, driving many major players to expand their related R&D efforts, with startups also joining the bandwagon.

The 3GPP, a global mobile communication standards organization, is set to hold its 100th member meeting in Taiwan on June 12-16, focusing on proposals for Release 19 standards. This is not only the first time for a 3GPP event to take place in Taiwan, but also the world's first 6G working meeting with countries to propose their 6G technology standards.

Smartphones shipped to the China market shrank to only 62 million units in the first quarter of 2023, down 12.4% sequentially and 7.2% on year, but the volumes in the second quarter are expected to stay at about the same level as in the first, according to DIGITIMES Research's latest figures from the report covering China's smartphone market.