Apple reportedly has increased its orders for A19 and A19 Pro series chips by 4 million to 5 million units over two months, fueled by robust demand for the iPhone 17 series in October and November 2025. This surge has led TSMC to modify its production capacity to accommodate Apple's growing device output.
Wei-Ren Luo, former senior vice president of TSMC, joined Intel after retiring at age 75. He is expected to leverage his expertise in wafer fabrication, R&D, and supply chain management. His move sparked industry concerns over trade secrets and national security, but it will likely benefit Intel greatly.
South Korea's largest conglomerates are pouring resources into glass substrates, a next-generation semiconductor packaging material that promises better thermal stability and power efficiency. Samsung, SK, and LG have each launched aggressive commercialization plans, but industry experts warn that technical hurdles and uncertain customer demand may signal early signs of overinvestment.
Samsung Electronics has begun notifying senior executives nearing retirement, prompting expectations that its annual year-end management reshuffle is close. ChosunBiz and ZDNet Korea reported that Samsung began issuing retirement notices to selected executives on the morning of November 20. With the process underway, industry watchers expect the president-level reshuffle to be announced as early as November 21 or early next week.
Japan's leading glass fiber manufacturer Nittobo has announced plans to triple its T-Glass production capacity starting in early 2027 in response to surging demand for AI servers. Similarly, Mitsui Mining & Smelting has raised its output expansion for high-frequency substrate electrolytic copper foil, VSP, three times within the past year, reflecting intensifying pressure on critical upstream materials. Industry experts predict severe supply constraints for key materials between 2024 and 2027 that could affect AI hardware supply chains globally.
Fujifilm President Teiichi Goto announced on November 14, 2025, in Tokyo that the company plans to establish a semiconductor materials manufacturing facility in India. The factory is intended to supply the domestic market and serve neighboring countries, positioning India as a strategic production hub for the company's semiconductor business.
King Core Electronics said it is watching the passive-component industry's price-hike discussions as silver costs soar, acknowledging that its own chip beads, inductors, and coils also consume significant volumes of silver paste. But with a far smaller scale than Yageo and Tai-Tech Advanced Electronics, the company does not plan to raise prices in 2025, while leaving open the option to follow peers if raw-material costs continue to climb.
Taiwan-based LED manufacturer Ligitek Electronics announced plans to enter the silicon photonics (SiPh) sector, investing tens of millions of New Taiwan dollars in cleanroom equipment and talent expansion by the first quarter of 2026. The company aims to diversify revenue streams by boosting contributions from invisible light, automotive, and engineering sectors while reducing dependence on LED components, projecting 2026 revenue to surpass that of 2025.
Kuan-Cheng Hsu, ASML's Taiwan and Southeast Asia customer marketing head, highlighted that AI-driven semiconductor demand is entering its strongest growth cycle ever, accelerating global GDP contribution, advanced process development, and lithography breakthroughs.
Concerns over consumer electronics demand are increasing because of the memory price surge. Analysts warn that this could hurt the profits of downstream foundries. However, Pegatron Chairman T.H. Tung emphasized in an interview that memory price fluctuations have no direct impact on foundry profitability, and that Taiwan's electronics industry is well-experienced in handling such cyclical trends.
After months of negotiations, the US has approved the export of up to 70,000 advanced AI chips to Emirati firm G42 and Saudi Arabia's Humain, marking a major milestone for both Gulf nations as they ramp up their AI capabilities. Each company will receive computing power equivalent to 35,000 Nvidia GB300 processors. These chips are part of Nvidia's Blackwell series and arguably the most advanced AI chips currently available. The exports are contingent on strict security measures and reporting requirements, including provisions designed to prevent diversion to foreign adversaries or Chinese technology.
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