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Apr 24, 09:09
Intel flags price increases and supply shortages as CPU demand strengthens
Intel signaled that industry-wide supply shortages and selective price increases are helping offset weaker PC demand, even as the company works to expand supply capacity across its product lines. Management said constrained output continues to limit revenue upside in parts of the business, while rising prices and improving server CPU demand are supporting overall resilience. The company also pointed to ongoing efforts to increase supply availability, though demand in several segments continues to outpace output.
In recent weeks, chip companies ranging from major players to small and medium-sized firms have issued price increase notices or begun renegotiating product prices with select customers. These moves aim to pass on steadily rising manufacturing costs across the supply chain as outsourced semiconductor assembly and test (OSAT) costs surge faster than even foundry price increases.
IP provider M31 has announced that its eUSB2V2 interface IP has completed tapeout on TSMC's N2P 2nm process. M31 CEO Scott Chang emphasized that 2nm interface IP must align closely with the manufacturing platform to boost design efficiency and accelerate time-to-market.
The global notebook market is undergoing a structural shift in competitive dynamics in 2026, moving from product specifications and pricing battles to group-level integrated capabilities as the core of competition. Memory supply chain control has emerged as a key indicator of brand competitiveness, directly impacting shipment volumes and operational performance.
STMicroelectronics reported first-quarter 2026 revenue of US$3.10 billion, up 23% year over year, with results coming in above the midpoint of its guidance as growth in personal electronics and computing helped offset continued softness in automotive and industrial markets.

SK Hynix showcased its latest high-bandwidth memory (HBM) technologies at TSMC's North America Technology Symposium 2026, highlighting closer collaboration with the foundry and outlining a strategy focused on integrating memory and logic.

Texas Instruments (TI) reported robust results for the first quarter of 2026 on April 23, driven by surging AI data center demand and a notable rebound in industrial control applications. TI stressed that while industrial demand has yet to reach its previous peak, the current recovery trend is positive, signaling continued growth prospects ahead.
A tightening supply of high-end materials is emerging as a key constraint just as PCB specifications and manufacturing processes move into a new upgrade cycle. Shortages span from T-glass fiberglass cloth for IC substrates to longer lead times for copper-clad laminates (CCL), with prices for multiple upstream inputs rising in tandem.

Zhen Ding Technology has broken ground on its HD campus at the Huai'an Technology City in China, as it accelerates investment to expand high-end printed circuit board (PCB) capacity targeting artificial intelligence (AI) applications.

Microcontroller supplier Artery Technology (Arterytek or Arterychip) delivered a strong start to 2026, posting first-quarter consolidated revenue of NT$653 million (approx. US$20.1 million), a record high for a single quarter. Full-year revenue is projected to grow by up to 60%, driven by a combination of new product launches and expanded demand from existing customers.

In an April 23 interview, Amichai Ron of Texas Instruments (TI) warned that edge AI will reshape devices worldwide, extending far beyond robotics and driving greater semiconductor demand as AI integrates into long-lived products, implying that global markets must prepare for increased connectivity, sensorization, and chip requirements, along with regulatory and logistical adjustments.

China's leading foundry, SMIC, is quietly recalibrating its strategy, moving beyond its long-standing focus on front-end wafer manufacturing to accelerate investments in advanced packaging.