Apple's recent price increases for Mac and iPad products are rapidly spilling into the used-device market, as consumers turn to refurbished and secondhand channels to fight inflation. Data from Chinese secondhand trading platforms show that some MacBook models have risen by nearly CNY1,000 (US$147.29) within just 10 days, signaling a new round of price swings in the end-user market.
The rapid expansion of AI applications is redefining what device makers need from display technology.
Apple is reportedly planning to launch at least five new models by this time next year, with the company expanding its foldables' production. Amid surging component prices and a weakening smartphone market, these moves may be a bid to gain market share while rivals are on the back foot.
Taiwanese power management IC (PMIC) design houses have been expanding into new applications and broadening their product portfolios in recent years, aiming to move beyond consumer electronics into higher-spec, more stable markets as the AI boom accelerates.
Large-size display driver ICs (DDIs) were a key revenue driver for many DDI suppliers during the first half of 2026. Taiwanese manufacturers said early notebook inventory build-up beginning in the first quarter of 2026, together with television restocking ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, allowed large-size DDI shipments to outperform the traditional seasonal slowdown.
Memory suppliers are renegotiating high-bandwidth memory contracts, and PC brands say price increases may slow later this year. For global buyers, that relief could be short-lived, as supply-chain sources warn that shortages tied to artificial intelligence demand are likely to keep memory markets tight through 2027.
Europe's intensifying heatwave is reshaping the region's air conditioner market, driving a surge in China's air conditioner exports and lifting demand for upstream power semiconductors, power management ICs and mature-node capacity.
Ability Opto-Electronics Technology, an optics maker, said on June 29 that its V-groove and mechanical transfer (MT) products for co-packaged optics (CPO) are likely to become its second-largest product line after notebook camera modules, as the company pushes to expand into new growth drivers. Chairman Weiya Gao said the expected 10% to 20% cut in 2026 shipments by notebook brands would have a relatively limited impact, since the company mainly supplies high-end business notebook cameras.
Notebook supply chains are preparing for a softer-than-usual 2026 peak season, with shipments expected to ease from the third quarter of 2026 as early replacement buying fades. For global readers, the shift points to higher device costs, slower demand later in the year, and broader pressure across PC and component markets.
Acer channel arm Weblink International remains upbeat on the second half of 2026, even as the PC industry looks increasingly likely to see weaker demand than in the first half.
