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Jul 20, 16:48
China's AI smartphone race pits ZTE, StepFun, and Honor against limits of agentic computing

China's smartphone industry is turning agentic AI into its next growth narrative, with ZTE's Nubia, StepFun and Honor presenting sharply different visions of how phones should plan tasks, coordinate apps and process personal data.

OnePlus is exiting the North American and European markets for its future product launches, while sales of new Realme products will be suspended within its home market of China. The changes to both Oppo sub-brands signal the challenges low- to mid-tier brands face amid rising component costs and a tough global smartphone market this year.

Apple Intelligence has passed a key regulatory milestone in China, bringing the iPhone maker closer to launching generative AI features for mainland users after a prolonged delay.
As AI server interconnects advance toward 1.6T and co-packaged optics (CPO), high-power continuous-wave (CW) lasers are becoming a strategic battleground for global technology companies. At the heart of these optical engines, indium phosphide (InP) manufacturing is shifting toward larger 4-inch and 6-inch wafer production. While existing suppliers have yet to fully meet growing demand, Taiwanese companies may find an opportunity to break into the market by addressing the widening supply gap.
Apple has sued OpenAI for allegedly stealing trade secrets, but the real fight is over who controls the entry points of AI. As LLM technology converges, the case shows that competition is shifting back to a fundamental question: on what device, and in what way, will users use AI?
Samsung Electronics unveiled a new titanium-based display structure on July 15, designed to reduce screen crease visibility while improving durability and preserving a slim profile in its next generation of Galaxy foldable devices.

Taiwan's Legislative Yuan Transportation Committee approved amendments to Article 36 of the Telecommunications Management Act in its first reading on July 13, significantly relaxing restrictions on foreign ownership and nationality requirements for satellite operators. The move is widely viewed as paving the way for SpaceX's Starlink to enter the Taiwanese market.

OnePlus, an Android brand that once cultivated a devoted following among enthusiasts, is reportedly preparing to cease operations in the US and Europe as early as this week, a withdrawal that reads less like an isolated stumble than a symptom of a smartphone market where soaring component costs are pricing value-focused vendors out.

Samsung Electronics is reportedly preparing to reduce a long-running preorder perk for its next Galaxy foldables as memory prices climb. According to ChosunBiz, the South Korean company will likely cut its "free storage upgrade" offer from a full double-capacity boost to a subsidy covering only half the price gap between the 256GB and 512GB versions.
Taiwan's three major telecom operators delivered stronger June 2026 results than a year earlier, supported by robust demand for ICT services, continued 5G migration and expanding digital-service ecosystems. Chunghwa Telecom posted record June revenue and EBITDA, Taiwan Mobile led the industry in monthly earnings per share (EPS) for a second consecutive month, and Far EasTone Telecommunications achieved its strongest June on record across revenue, EBITDA, net profit, and EPS.
Rising chip costs are adding pressure to consumer electronics, with memory prices expected to stay elevated through at least 2027 and weighing heavily on downstream manufacturers and brands. Industry players say the wave of smartphone price increases in the first quarter of 2026 has already hurt sales momentum, and another round of memory-driven hikes in the second half of this year or in 2027 would make it extremely difficult to keep phone prices where they are.

Apple's MacBook Neo is selling briskly, lifting the company's notebook brand shipments by more than 10% year on year in the second quarter of 2026, but supply shortages are emerging as a major risk. Supply-chain sources had expected MacBook Neo shipments to reach 10 million units in 2026, but a key component bottleneck could weigh on sales.