Handset panel prices continue trending down in March, but will likely stop falling and begin to stabilize at the end of the second quarter, according to industry sources.

In 2022, the overall revenue of the global IC design industry reached US$215.4 billion. Among them, the US IC design sector is the largest in scale, with a 63% market share and revenue of over US$130 billion. Taiwan's IC design sector is the second largest in the world, with an 18% market share and revenue approaching US$40 billion. China comes in third, with a market share of nearly 15%.

The industrial event 'Satellite 2023' has begun in Washington DC, USA, attracting over 350 companies from the aerospace supply chain, among them household names like NASA, SpaceX, OneWeb and Intelsat. As a crucial link in the global electronics industry, Taiwan has also set its sight upon the space industry. Satellite 2023 is consequently seeing numerous Taiwan-based participants, such as Universal Microwave Technology, Intai Technology Group, Pyras Technology and Tron Future Tech.

Apple will reportedly have its own 5G modem chip, with OSATs such as the ASE Technology Holding (ASEH) and Amkor Technology competing for orders, according to market sources.

The effectiveness of low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite backup communication services during the Russia-Ukraine war has attracted global attention to the business opportunities of LEO satellites. Both international manufacturers and those in the satellite supply chain are closely watching the technology's future development. Taiwan, which has long played a crucial production and R&D role in the global information and communication sector, can't miss this opportunity.

Japan-based firms' investments in their home market in 2022 were more robust than in years past and three main factors were the driver for their relocation back to Japan, according to DIGITIMES Research's latest study covering Japan-based enterprises.

Demand for Wi-Fi main chips is expected to resume growth starting the second quarter and benefit related Taiwan-based chip designers including MediaTek, Realtek, and Richwave, according to sources from the upstream supply chain, who added that procurement orders from Europe and the US will be the key growth driver.

Mobile World Congress (MWC), with its 2023 edition set to open on February 27, is no longer just a showcase of smartphone devices, according to DIGITIMES Research. MWC over the past few years have showcased advanced solutions for wireless communication and AR/VR headsets. O-RAN and satellite communication have also caught much attention. DIGITIMES, after collecting opinions from analysts and ITRI, expects MWC 2023 to exhibit three major directions in terms of products, services, trends and technologies.

At MWC 2023, MediaTek will spotlight technology and product highlights from its Dimensity, Filogic, Genio, Kompanio, and Pentonic portfolios, along with a variety of new demos for 5G beyond mobile. MediaTek will also be demonstrating its satellite communications platform and showcasing MediaTek-powered devices across different verticals from some of the world's biggest brands.

The two major phone SoC suppliers, MediaTek and Qualcomm, have been planning their entry into the mid-tier market. Observing this trend, the mobile phone supply chain hoped that the introduction of more advanced technology could enhance the sales performance of mid-tier models.

Display driver IC (DDI) specialist Novatek Microelectronics has entered the final stage of verification for its OLED DDIs at a South Korean panel customer who ships iPhone-use OLEDs, according industry sources.

Cellular IoT chip vendor Sequans Communications said in January that it expects to ship its second-generation Cat 1 chip in volume this year. In an interview with DIGITIMES Asia at CES 2023, the company's CEO highlighted Sequans' Cat 1bis chip, Calliope 2, and a 5G platform, Taurus, that is still under development and unannounced.

Fourth-quarter 2022 smartphone application processor (AP) shipments to China-based smartphone vendors amounted to 137 million units, plunging 24% from the prior quarter and 20.3% from the prior year, and will continue to experience a double-digit decline in the first quarter of 2023, according to figures from DIGITIMES Research's latest report covering smartphone AP shipments.

In terms of Taiwan's entrepreneurial environment, Mr. Jerry Chen, an investor in Mucker Capital for the Asia Pacific region, is of the opinion that Taiwan has very little visibility in the international market in terms of software entrepreneurship, including in Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solutions. To date, Taiwan has not produced any iconic company in this industry. Nevertheless, based on its past experiences in ICT, semiconductors, and manufacturing, as well as its pool of outstanding software developers, Taiwan is in fact equipped with the potential to develop B2B SaaS products. In this sense, by assuming the roles of a venture capitalist and an accelerator, Mucker Capital not only provides seed capital, but also helps startups overcome growth bottlenecks and accelerate their growth toward the next phase.

Periscope lenses will be used more frequently in smartphones, a trend that is promising to become prevalent to meet growing demand for upgrades to photography functions, according to sources familiar with operations at optical lens module companies.

Both MediaTek and Realtek Semiconductor believe that a wave of Wi-Fi 6/6E upgrades is still in progress and that basic demand has not abated. Wi-Fi chip sales can still contribute to their overall operations in 2023 if the customer purchase pattern returns to normal.

MediaTek has provided a relatively optimistic short-term outlook concerning handset inventory digestion at channels. It has also seen some recovery in non-handset business segments. But MediaTek has stressed that it needs more time to observe the long-term business outlook for the entire 2023, which highlights the uncertainties shrouding the current market.

Despite still being the smartphone market leader, Samsung is losing to Apple in the high-end market while being pursued by Chinese brands in the mid-to-low tier market. Samsung has hoped that foldable phones can save its business. However, with Samsung's technical capability and customer loyalty both falling, foldable phones haven't performed well and don't appear to be capable of saving the company.

All firms with considerable business scales in Taiwan's electronics industry are publicly traded. When they release their tentative annual financial indicators, we can already grasp the growth momentum of the industry, as well as the interactions between different industry sectors and the medium- and long-term outlook. DIGITIMES has again collected data on the ICT product manufacturing, semiconductors, optoelectronics, IC distribution and components sectors, providing readers with a comprehensive picture of the electronics industry and an outlook of the industry trends in 2023.

While Chinese handset vendors such as Oppo, Vivo and Xiaomi are aggressively moving to develop in-house chips to differentiate their product functions, mobile SoC specialists Qualcomm and MediaTek are also joining the differentiation arena by providing customized solutions for their Android handset clients, according to industry sources.

Mobile SoC specialist MediaTek will still see headwinds from the handset market challenge its operations in the first half of 2023, according to market sources.

Taiwan-based LandMark Optoelectronics, which specializes in GaAs and InP epi-wafers for optical communications, expects to post another on-year revenue increase in 2023, when the company will start shipping 800G silicon photonics components.

The smartphone market is shrinking while the demand for automotive and industrial application has increased. These two major trends will determine the FY2022 (2022/04-2023/03) revenue performance of Japanese electronic component manufacturers.

In contrast with the Indian government's welcoming Apple suppliers' investments, Samsung Electronics, the largest exporter of mobile phones in India, encounters a series of financial issues.

More Taiwan-based network device manufacturers, including Senao Networks, are looking to relocate production to Vietnam for manpower and cost reasons, according to Tommy Tsai, chairman of Senao.