The used mobile phone recycling market in China has recently heated up, with even non-functional old phones being collected at significantly higher prices than before. This surge is driven by a severe global shortage of consumer-grade memory chips.

Huawei has recruited a leading scientist from a German research institute, raising concerns among the German government and academic circles. According to Nikkei Asia, Martin Schell, formerly director of Germany's Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute (HHI), announced his departure and moved to the UK in March to become research director at Huawei's Bragg Research Center.

Demand for optical communication modules driven by artificial intelligence is exceeding supply, prompting FIC Global (FICG) to accelerate capacity expansion in Malaysia and China, the company said.

Senao International's cautious 2026 outlook, outlined at a March 27 investor briefing, signals global repercussions for device makers as inflation, chip shortages, and high smartphone penetration reshape demand. The Taiwanese distributor plans to pivot toward AI-capable smartphones and the used-phone market to sustain revenue amid slowing shipments and rising component costs.

Core component costs for smartphones are surging at unprecedented rates, threatening the survival of low-priced models in the market. Nikkei reports that prices for two essential memory types—DRAM (mainly LPDDR) and NAND flash—are soaring faster than ever before.

OnePlus said its India chief executive Robin Liu will step down effective March 31, as the company faces declining shipments and ongoing restructuring within its parent group, according to company statements and multiple media reports.

Apple is planning to unveil a major overhaul of its Siri voice assistant at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) on June 8, according to Bloomberg. The new Siri features aim to advance the company's AI strategy as competition in the AI chatbot and agent space intensifies. The upgrade is expected to transform Siri from a simple voice assistant into a full AI system, and will be released as part of the iOS 27 and macOS 27 operating system updates.

Xiaomi executives outlined the group's 2025 performance and strategic priorities during an investor earnings call and webcast on March 24. Management highlighted record annual revenue and adjusted net profit, then devoted much of the presentation to artificial intelligence (AI), embodied intelligence (physical AI), and progress in the company's electric vehicle (EV) business. The call opened with standard operator instructions and procedural remarks from investor relations, followed by prepared remarks from Xiaomi president Lu Weibing and CFO Alain Lam Sai Wai, who fielded investor questions.

As March nears its end, the smartphone panel market has yet to see a post-Lunar New Year replenishment cycle. With upstream costs rising and end demand softening, overall market conditions continue to deteriorate.

Samsung Electronics is reportedly advancing development of its next-generation tri-fold smartphone following the Galaxy Z TriFold, which ceased production just three months after launch. The company is also working on a new slider phone with an extendable screen, aiming to expand its presence in innovative smartphone form factors.