Samsung Electronics is reportedly evaluating titanium and carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) as potential materials for the backplate of its 2026 flagship foldable, the Galaxy Z Fold 8, according to a report from South Korea's TheElec. The move underscores Samsung's ongoing push to reduce weight and thickness in its foldable lineup while navigating the geopolitical complexities of global sourcing.

Business exchanges between Chinese and Taiwanese makers have shown significant increases amid concerns over US tariffs, trade restrictions, and global supply chain restructuring, with China and Hong Kong together remaining the biggest market for Taiwan's exports.

MicroLED manufacturer PlayNitride will establish a Chinese subsidiary in Kunshan Development Zone, Jiangsu Province, as part of its global expansion strategy following its 2023 US operations launch. The Taiwan-based company plans to invest up to US$19 million in the wholly owned subsidiary, targeting production start-up by mid-2026.

Samsung Electronics executives met with BOE Technology leaders in July 2025 to discuss LCD panel procurement, even as the company remains locked in a legal dispute with Samsung Display. After filing a patent infringement suit in Texas in late May 2025, BOE followed up with a second claim against Samsung Display in the same court less than two months later.

Samsung Electronics' Visual Display (VD) division, responsible for Samsung's TV business, has been experiencing internal disorder since May 2025, a negative byproduct of its workplace and organizational restructuring.

Taiwanese microLED manufacturer PlayNitride is confronting its first significant slowdown after years of rapid expansion, with first-half revenue falling 4.64% to NT$504 million (approx. US$17.1 million) amid customer product transitions and global economic headwinds.

In comments after the recent Samsung Unpacked event, Samsung Electronics' acting head of device experience (DX) Tae-moon Roh revealed the company's plans to release a trifold smartphone by the end of the year. For panel supplier Samsung Display (SDC), high-added-value trifold panels could become its next growth driver.

BOE Technology Group has filed a second patent infringement lawsuit against Samsung Display in under two months, escalating a legal showdown that could disrupt Apple's iPhone OLED panel supply chain and reshape the global display industry.

With China's domination in the global LCD panel industry, coupled with long-term overcapacity in panel production and the fact that higher-generation fabs are more efficient and cost-effective than older, lower-generation lines, panel players from Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan have been continuously closing and selling plants in recent years.

South Korea has pledged an investment of approximately US$350 million to develop next-generation inorganic LED (iLED) technology by 2032 to maintain the country's leadership in the display market.

Taiwan's polarizer manufacturers have successfully negotiated price increases exceeding 10% with panel makers as they grapple with currency headwinds and rising raw material costs, according to industry sources.