OnePlus, an Android brand that once cultivated a devoted following among enthusiasts, is reportedly preparing to cease operations in the US and Europe as early as this week, a withdrawal that reads less like an isolated stumble than a symptom of a smartphone market where soaring component costs are pricing value-focused vendors out.
Apple's MacBook Neo is selling briskly, lifting the company's notebook brand shipments by more than 10% year on year in the second quarter of 2026, but supply shortages are emerging as a major risk. Supply-chain sources had expected MacBook Neo shipments to reach 10 million units in 2026, but a key component bottleneck could weigh on sales.
OpenAI's first consumer device is shaping up as a direct bid for the center of the home, a move that would pit the ChatGPT maker against Apple, Amazon, and Alphabet's Google just as it prepares to go public — and while it fights an Apple lawsuit that could delay the launch.
The European Commission has exempted a swathe of connected consumer and industrial products from its rule requiring that portable batteries be removable and replaceable by users. This change removes one of the clearest regulatory obstacles to selling devices such as Meta's smart glasses in the bloc.
As early inventory stocking by brand customers winds down, China's 618 Shopping Festival delivers weaker-than-expected sales, and LCD TV panel prices begin to retreat, demand for monitor and notebook (NB) panels is cooling in the third quarter. Despite the slowdown, panel makers remain reluctant to cut prices amid elevated production costs, and IT panel prices are expected to remain flat in July as buyers and suppliers enter a period of pricing negotiations.
According to Counterpoint's latest market tracker, global smartphone shipments fell sharply in the second quarter of 2026, underscoring the memory crunch's impact on consumers, manufacturers, and retailers worldwide. Higher component costs, rising prices, and weaker demand in budget segments are now reshaping the market, with the disruption likely to influence availability, upgrade cycles, and handset pricing well beyond this year.
The smart glasses market is developing rapidly, with brands adopting a more pragmatic approach to product design while placing greater emphasis on interactivity. Taiwanese companies are seeking to keep pace with this growth, while Chinese players are moving equally quickly. The emergence of numerous Chinese startups and their ability to attract funding have reinforced market optimism over smart glasses demand, while intensifying competition between Taiwan and China across the supply chain.
Reports have emerged that Apple may have managed to avoid 100% tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump, partly by agreeing to partner with Intel to manufacture its chips. While Apple could benefit from expanding its chip suppliers, the episode also shows the power of Intel's government backing as the US seeks to reshore its semiconductor industry.
Apple is reshaping its Mac chip roadmap to prioritize AI, accelerating development of future processors as the company seeks to strengthen its position in the AI era.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang will travel to Japan for an event celebrating the US chipmaker's three-decade relationship with Sega, revisiting a partnership that helped Nvidia survive its difficult early years as semiconductor competition expands from data centers to personal computers.
New figures from Counterpoint Research estimate that the bill of materials (BOM) for the upcoming iPhone 18 Pro Max could rise nearly US$300 compared with the iPhone 17 Pro Max released in September last year. Ballooning memory costs largely account for this increase, although Apple may be better placed than most other smartphone brands to weather such price hikes.
