Samsung Electronics is enjoying its strongest run in the US smartphone market in years, but that momentum could be tested as US President Donald Trump threatens sweeping tariffs on semiconductors and devices that use them.

Chinese handset maker Shenzhen Transsion Holdings Co., known as the "king of phones in Africa," is facing a fresh legal challenge from Huawei, highlighting growing intellectual property risks as it expands into emerging markets where Xiaomi and other rivals are gaining ground.

Below are the top DIGITIMES Asia stories from August 11 to 17, 2025. Leading the headlines: Apple is preparing to launch a US$599 MacBook, with mass production of key components expected by the end of 2025. China's leading DRAM manufacturer has begun domestic production of HBM3 chips, with samples already sent to Huawei for final validation. Meanwhile, a reported leak of TSMC's 2nm technology involving employees from TSMC and Tokyo Electron (TEL) sparked espionage concerns but appears less severe after further investigation.

The US government is expected to announce its tariff policy this week on semiconductor-related products—including smartphones, laptops, and surveillance devices—sending ripples of uncertainty through the global tech industry. A proposed 25% tariff on smartphones is now formally under consideration, placing the strategies of Samsung Electronics and Apple under intense scrutiny.

On July 31, 2025, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order to adjust reciprocal tariff rates, setting the provisional tariff for Taiwan at 20%, effective from August 7, 2025. According to senior government officials in Taiwan, relief measures have been initiated, and affected businesses are urged to apply within the stipulated timeframe. For traditional industries, China faces tariffs exceeding 50% on related goods, which provides Taiwan with a competitive opportunity to gain market recognition.

Over the past five years, Huawei's drive to localize smartphone components has shifted from a crisis response into a calculated, strategic effort to build a self-reliant supply chain. With the Kirin 9030 set to debut in the Mate 80, the series is widely seen as a near-fully domestic flagship, a culmination of Huawei's transformation from relying on stopgaps to reshaping its position in the industry.

Huawei will launch its 2025 flagship Mate 80 series in October, moving up its schedule to land near Apple's iPhone 17 debut in early September, according to supply chain sources. The timing reflects a calculated move to reinforce its dominance in China's premium smartphone segment and seize momentum in the critical autumn upgrade cycle.

Taiwan's three major telecom operators released their July 2025 operational results on August 11, all showing strong performances. Chunghwa Telecom leveraged rapid growth in its information and communications technology (ICT) business to set multiple record highs. Taiwan Mobile benefited from merger synergies while accelerating its push into the AI data center (AIDC) market. Far EasTone Telecommunications maintained its industry-leading 5G penetration rate while expanding its digital services portfolio.

Xiaomi has overhauled its Africa leadership team as part of an aggressive regional push. Liu Shequan has been named general manager of the Africa regional department and head of the West Africa division, reporting directly to Lin En, general manager of the international sales department.

Apple CEO Tim Cook recently committed an additional US$100 billion investment in domestic US operations. This move is poised to reshape the competitive environment of the US smartphone market in the fourth quarter of 2025, with analysts projecting Samsung Electronics as the principal disadvantaged party.

Samsung Electronics announced on August 11 the new 5G-capable A17 smartphone, aiming to drive momentum in the mid-range segment with Galaxy AI enhancements at a highly competitive price.

India's smartphone market is undergoing premiumization, with rising average selling prices driving growth in mid- and high-end segments. This shift boosts brands like Apple, which sees strong double-digit gains, but challenges budget-focused players as overall market growth slows amid subdued demand and inflationary pressures.

Apple has obtained a broad exemption from US import tariffs on its products, a move that has triggered industry-wide speculation about whether this could slow the company's efforts to diversify production outside of China. However, Apple's supply chain partners insist the transition is still ongoing — especially for its Mac line — with two clear strategic priorities: relocating operations to Southeast Asia and significantly increasing automation.

Samsung Electronics Co. may have secured Apple's orders and become the second supplier of CMOS image sensors (CIS) for Apple's iPhone models, breaking Sony's long-standing exclusive partnership. This shift could enhance Samsung's operating profit margin in the CIS market beyond that of Sony.

Qualcomm is at a critical crossroads as it attempts to pivot beyond its reliance on the smartphone business in the era of artificial intelligence and expands into growth areas such as automotive, AR/VR, and AI-powered PCs.

Apple has established the Answers, Knowledge, and Information (AKI) team that will focus on AI-based search technology. Its long-term goal is to develop various AI capabilities and eventually create a search engine similar to ChatGPT.

Meta Platforms Inc. recently released its financial report for the second quarter of 2025, highlighting the impressive sales performance of its AI glasses, while Meta's partner, eyewear manufacturer EssilorLuxottica, also reported a remarkable year-over-year increase of over 200% in Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses sales. As the smart glasses market heats up with major tech companies entering the competition, Taiwan Mobile believes that 2025 will be the year when AI glasses begin to take off. The company sees promising investment opportunities in the field and has stated it will not fall behind in the AI glasses race.

Apple, Qualcomm, and MediaTek exceeded expectations in recent financial results, driven by final Chinese government subsidies and anticipation of tariff hikes later in the year. This scenario led to early smartphone upgrades, bolstering revenues for these major industry players.

Taiwan's reciprocal tariff rate has been announced, reaching 20%. This is higher than Japan and South Korea, which leaves room for questions about whether this will affect the competitiveness of Taiwan's industries.

India's smartphone market rebounded in the second quarter of 2025, growing 8% in volume and 18% in value year-over-year, according to Counterpoint's market tracker. The recovery was fueled by a 33% rise in new launches, aggressive marketing, and strong summer sales, with brands offering bigger discounts, easy EMIs, and bundled deals, especially in mid and premium segments.

Apple's capex saw a notable rise in the third quarter of the fiscal year 2025, primarily driven by growing investments in artificial intelligence (AI). During the company's earnings call, CFO Kevan Parekh attributed the increase to a combination of factors, with the largest share allocated to expanding Apple's private cloud computing (PCC) infrastructure.

Apple reported its strongest quarterly growth since 2021, with revenue up 9.6% year-over-year to US$94.04 billion in the third quarter of fiscal 2025, driven by strong iPhone and Services sales. The results highlight opportunities in AI and China, while raising questions about future demand amid tariff and competitive pressures.

Apple is preparing for an estimated US$1.1 billion in tariff-related costs in the September quarter, CEO Tim Cook revealed during the company's third-quarter fiscal 2025 earnings call. The increase, compared with the prior quarter, is primarily attributed to higher sales volumes and some inventory buildup earlier in the year.

During Apple's third-quarter fiscal year 2025 earnings call, CEO Tim Cook highlighted renewed momentum in Greater China, where revenue rose 4% quarter-over-quarter. This improvement was largely driven by a notable surge in iPhone sales and strong year-over-year growth in Mac revenue.