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Friday 16 January 2026
Xiaomi reportedly skips 2nm for Xring O2, chooses TSMC 3nm to cut costs

Xiaomi's second-generation in-house mobile processor, the Xring O2, will skip TSMC's 2nm process and instead use the company's 3nm N3P node, underscoring a trade-off between performance, cost, and supply availability. The choice also suggests the chip may not power Xiaomi's most premium flagship smartphones.

Friday 16 January 2026
US imposes 25% chip tariff under Section 232, but Taiwan secures strategic carve-outs in high-stakes talks
The US White House has formally announced a 25% import tariff on semiconductors under Section 232, while outlining multiple exemption mechanisms that could mitigate the impact on key suppliers. Against this backdrop, a high-level Taiwanese delegation is in Washington for a new round of trade negotiations aimed at safeguarding Taiwan's semiconductor sector and its role in the global, AI-driven supply chain.
Friday 16 January 2026
Honlynn pivots to cloud, cybersecurity, and AI as TPEx debut nears
Honlynn, a subsidiary of Abico Group, will be listed on the Taipei Exchange's Emerging Stock Board on January 16, 2026, marking a strategic inflection point as the company pivots from a traditional office equipment distributor toward an integrated provider of cloud, cybersecurity, and AI-driven solutions, with international expansion firmly in sight.
Friday 16 January 2026
CES 2026 turns dexterous hands into a China-South Korea showdown
Unlike previous CES editions that focused on full humanoid robot systems, CES 2026 highlighted the standalone importance of dexterous hands. As the core interface for human–machine interaction, dexterous hands set the ceiling for robotic performance and represent the "last mile" in humanoid robot capability.
Friday 16 January 2026
Taiwan launches Smart Robot Research Center to advance everyday service robotics
The rapid evolution of robots with stable gait and agile manipulation—spotlighted at CES 2026—signals that robots integrated into daily life are moving from vision to reality. Seizing this momentum, Taiwan is launching a national, mission-driven initiative to accelerate smart robot research, industry development, and talent cultivation.
Thursday 15 January 2026
Intel CPU squeeze forces Asus Chromebook shift to MediaTek

For several months, the global memory market has been hit by severe supply shortages and rapid price increases. As memory makers shift capacity toward higher-margin products, consumer electronics — especially notebook PCs — have taken the hardest hit. The market remains cautious about major brand vendors' shipment momentum and profitability in 2026.

Wednesday 14 January 2026
Meta doubles down on AI smart glasses, shuts VR studios

Meta Platforms is reshaping its hardware and AI strategy. After reports of layoffs at its Reality Labs division, the US tech giant is now in talks with EssilorLuxottica to double the annual output of its AI-powered Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses to 20 million units by the end of 2026, from an original target of 10 million. If demand remains strong, production could rise to 30 million units, though no final agreement has been reached.

Wednesday 14 January 2026
U-Best Innovative develops water-based resin for automotive interiors, targets diverse sectors
U-Best Innovative, a subsidiary of Sun Yad Group, announced the development of a water-based resin developed in collaboration with major domestic manufacturers of automotive interior materials. The company is also expanding partnerships with local firms to enter sectors including electronics, medical devices, green energy, optical films, and flexible HC materials.
Wednesday 14 January 2026
AI boom pushes Taiwan's GDP growth past 7%, masking tariff and talent strains on non-ICT sectors
Taiwan recorded a GDP growth of over 7% in 2025, driven by an AI-fueled export surge, yet the headline growth conceals mounting pressures on traditional industries grappling with US tariffs and an intensifying domestic talent crunch.
Tuesday 13 January 2026
Xiaomi's XRing strategy raises pressure on MediaTek, Qualcomm
Market sources say Xiaomi is expanding its in-house XRing chip lineup. Beyond developing the next-generation XRing O2 on TSMC's N3P process, the company also plans to extend these processors into "non-smartphone" products to further raise its level of self-reliance.
Tuesday 13 January 2026
Column: IBM's 50-year-old liquid cooling patent shapes today's AI data center cooling
If today's AI data centers are blazing "powder kegs" of heat, IBM was the visionary that prepared the "fire extinguisher" half a century ago. While Nvidia's top chips now require water cooling to operate, few realize that this technology's "biological father" actually dates back to IBM in the 1960s. Today, we explore this groundbreaking US patent 3,524,497 ("Patent 497") and its blue-cooling revolution spanning over 50 years.
Monday 12 January 2026
CES 2026 sparks debate over Chinese product innovation
At CES 2026 in Las Vegas, China's major exhibitors prominently showcased products under the banner of "innovation," drawing significant attention on the show floor. However, some observers noted that many Chinese products closely resemble existing concepts from global companies, with industry insiders accusing Chinese firms not only of imitation but also of repackaging copied designs as independently developed innovations.
Monday 12 January 2026
Commentary: CES 2026 marks end of AR hype, start of price wars
For years, smart glasses and augmented reality (AR) headsets were among the most visible attractions at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), peaking in 2025 when they dominated the exhibition floor. At CES 2026, their presence was noticeably reduced. This does not point to an industry slowdown. Rather, it signals the sector's exit from the "concept phase" and its entry into a market defined by price competition and practical commercialisation.
Monday 12 January 2026
Jarllytec seeks more foldable smartphone shipments in 2H26
Notebook hinge maker Jarllytec said that its confirmed orders for the 2026 3C product lines include one new China-branded foldable smartphone model, which is scheduled to enter mass production and shipment in the first half of the year. The company is also pursuing orders for new models in the second half. New laptop models from US-based laptop brands are expected to ramp up shipments in the first half, along with continued contributions from high-priced China-branded foldable notebooks. The LCD-related business is expected to remain relatively moderate.
Monday 12 January 2026
GSEO's 2025 revenue rises nearly 8% YoY, with significant potential benefits in 2026
GSEO announced that its consolidated revenue for December 2025 reached NT$2.63 billion (approx. US$83.3 million), up NT$361 million from November's NT$2.269 billion, representing a month-over-month increase of 15.92%. Compared to December 2024's NT$1.449 billion, this marked an 81.50% year-over-year growth. The company's cumulative consolidated revenue for the entire 2025 was NT$24.987 billion, rising by 7.78% year-over-year.
Monday 12 January 2026
Qisda-backed Elixiron tackles Alzheimer's with new drug developments
Biotechnology firm Elixiron Immunotherapeutics is the only company in Asia to have twice received "Part the Cloud" grants sponsored by the US-based Alzheimer's Association and Bill Gates, securing roughly NT$60 million (US$1.9 million) in non-dilutive funding.
Monday 12 January 2026
FCCL maker Taiflex pushes fine-pitch materials to lift product value
Taiflex Scientific, a flexible copper clad laminate (FCCL) supplier, has begun a transition toward three new material businesses, led by fine-pitch materials used mainly in display panels and camera lenses. Fine-pitch products were the primary driver of revenue growth in the fourth quarter of 2025. Despite exiting the automotive-related business due to margin pressure and market risk, Taiflex lifted full-year revenue beyond NT$10 billion (approx. US$330 million), marking its highest level in seven years.
Monday 12 January 2026
CES 2026: modular vs. thin notebook designs
CES 2026 revealed two clear paths in the global notebook market. While Apple continues to push the MacBook Pro toward extreme thinness, major PC vendors such as Dell, HP, and Lenovo are collectively pivoting toward modularity and repairability, with the intention of rebuilding competitiveness by extending product lifespans.
Friday 9 January 2026
South Korean tech giants accelerate robot actuator development at CES 2026
At CES 2026, leading South Korean corporations such as LG Electronics, Hyundai Motor Group, and Samsung Electronics drew attention by focusing on robot actuators—critical components that function as joints in humanoid robots. Industry experts highlight actuators as a key growth market, as a single humanoid robot requires over 100 actuators to ensure performance and manage costs. This focus aligns with the growing interest in physical artificial intelligence applications across sectors.
Friday 9 January 2026
CES 2026: robot vacuums have their presence felt in smart home sector
Humanoid robots demonstrated more advanced intelligence and dominated CES 2026. However, they have yet to enter large-scale commercialization and widespread adoption. In contrast, various functional robots are already thriving, including increasingly sophisticated robot vacuum cleaners, pool-cleaning robots, and lawn-mowing robots. Innovation did not disappoint at CES this year, with many competing in the smart home space.
Friday 9 January 2026
Largan braces for 1Q26 seasonal dip as capacity utilization loosens
Largan Precision, a leading optical lens manufacturer, held its earnings call on January 8 to announce its fourth-quarter 2025 and full-year 2025 financial results. Benefiting from new product pull-ins by customers, the company posted consolidated full-year 2025 revenue of NT$61.15 billion (US$1.94 billion), up 3% year over year and surpassing the previous record of NT$60.75 billion set in 2019. However, gross margin in the fourth quarter of 2025 unexpectedly fell below 50%, slipping to 47.8%.
Friday 9 January 2026
CES 2026: Smart glasses market shifts focus to AI capabilities
The smart glasses sector marked a clear transformation at CES 2026, moving beyond the chaotic showcase of numerous startups seen in 2025 to a more streamlined exhibition featuring fewer but larger booths and heightened visitor interaction. Attendees demonstrated greater enthusiasm for trying on devices and exploring practical applications compared to last year's cautious approach.
Friday 9 January 2026
Google and Samsung bet again on smart glasses, this time with Android XR
Multiple indicators suggest Google will re-enter the smart glasses market in 2026, more than a decade after exiting the category. The company is expected to partner with Samsung to launch a new generation of smart glasses built on the Android XR platform, signaling a renewed push into augmented reality and wearable computing.
Friday 9 January 2026
Taiwan accelerates infrastructure expansion to fortify AI and chip supply chains
As Taiwan's semiconductor and AI server industries rapidly expand—led by TSMC and major hardware manufacturers—the government is accelerating infrastructure planning to secure industrial land, water supply, and green energy, while balancing domestic capacity constraints with overseas investment.
Friday 9 January 2026
Taiwan's HCmed scales up high-end nebulizer CDMO business to tap global respiratory therapy market
HCmed Innovations is accelerating its push into the high-value respiratory therapy market, leveraging Taiwan's electronics engineering strengths to build advanced nebulizers as drug-device combination products under a contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) model. With demand already exceeding capacity, the company is planning a major production expansion while preparing for a mainboard listing on the Taiwan Stock Exchange.