Soaring memory prices have pushed some IC design firms to develop and manufacture their own SRAM as a substitute for DRAM, while electronics assemblers and brand manufacturers that still need DRAM face challenges in passing on higher costs and securing supply through long-term contracts.

The global notebook market faces steep cost increases for key components including memory and processors, but Asus is keeping annual shipments relatively stable through its commercial PC and high-value product strategies. According to the notebook supply chain, Asus' 2026 notebook shipments are expected to remain broadly flat or decline 1.3% from 2025, as commercial notebooks and Chromebooks grow 27% and 9%, respectively, offsetting declines in consumer and gaming notebooks.

Samsung Electronics' latest results show AI infrastructure demand increasingly determining the group's earnings, with soaring semiconductor profit offsetting continued losses in its consumer-device division. The company said a sharp expansion in high-bandwidth memory (HBM) sales and rising memory prices drove another record quarter, while its outlook pointed to supply pressure further as customers expand AI investment.

Apple's first touchscreen Mac reverses a design stance the company defended for more than a decade and is a premium-priced test of whether touch and tandem OLED can lift Mac demand in a shrinking PC market, with Samsung Display reportedly supplying all the panels.

In an effort to reduce national security vulnerabilities tied to foreign electronics supply chains, defense technology startup Anduril Industries and chipmaker Qualcomm Technologies have partnered to launch BlueChip, a new line of American-built computing hardware.

LG Electronics' latest quarter shows how appliances, vehicle components, and an improving television business are supporting earnings while the company builds new positions in data center cooling and robotics. The results also show the limits of that protection: profit improved from a year earlier but fell sharply from the preceding quarter, and management expects consumer demand to remain difficult.

Lenovo Group announced that its annual global innovation event, Tech World, will return to CES 2027 in Las Vegas, taking place at Sphere as part of the keynote program. The event will feature a lineup of prominent speakers and showcase the latest technological innovations and achievements, while combining technology and music to deliver a unique, immersive experience.

Chinese smart-glasses maker Rokid unveiled its full-color AI glasses, Rokid Color, in Hangzhou on October 27, alongside the second-generation Rokid Glasses 2 and the Rokid Ring smart interaction wearable. The Rokid Color features a full-color microLED optical engine and is available starting at CNY4,999 (US$750).

Asus expects commercial PC prices in Taiwan to rise nearly 10% in the second half of 2026 after surging almost 30% in the first half, as higher memory and processor costs continue to pressure the PC supply chain. The company forecasts that enterprise PC demand, AI edge-computing applications, and replacement cycles will drive simultaneous growth in commercial PC volumes and prices in 2027.

Asus and Intel on October 27 unveiled the new commercial laptop Asus ExpertBook A7 in Taiwan, as on-premises AI computing devices gain attention from enterprises and creators alongside traditional business PCs. Asus said products related to Nvidia RTX Spark, particularly models with 64GB and 128GB of memory, are being allocated due to strong global demand, with the next shipments expected to arrive progressively by the end of October.

US and Taiwanese PC makers are shifting some production from Southeast Asia back to China and partnering with additional Chinese contract manufacturers as surging memory and storage costs squeeze margins, reversing part of the industry's previous push to diversify supply chains away from China.

Taiwanese IC design leaders MediaTek, Realtek, and Parade Technologies will hold their third-quarter 2026 earnings conferences in succession this week, offering the market an early read on conditions heading into late 2026 and early 2027. Parade will go first on October 28, followed by Realtek on October 29 and MediaTek on October 30.

Apple's late-October hardware updates put on-device artificial intelligence at the center of devices that otherwise change little, as rising memory costs push prices higher. The new iPad mini, announced on October 26, and the M6-based iMac and entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro, announced on October 27, all pair new chips built for local AI workloads with the company's Siri AI assistant. Early coverage described the two Macs as modest chip upgrades and the iPad mini as a substantial redesign that now costs more.

This week's coverage highlights shifting technology supply chains and rising demand across foldable smartphones, memory, energy storage, robotics, and AI infrastructure. Apple lifted its iPhone Duo shipment target after strong preorders, while memory makers faced conflicting forecasts over Chinese capacity and sustained AI demand. Taiwan advanced industrial microgrids and saw its first semiconductor strike, as Texas Instruments reported tightening analog supply. Chinese energy storage suppliers reportedly retreated from the US amid reciprocal technology and ownership restrictions.

India's smartphone shipments fell 20% year over year in the third quarter of 2026, reaching a decade low as higher memory costs pushed device prices up. The downturn highlights affordability pressures for consumers and could prompt manufacturers to raise prices, reshape portfolios, and rely on premium segments globally.

India's electronics and IT minister, Ashwini Vaishnaw, has set October 23, 2028, as the date by which the country will have mobile phones that are designed, manufactured, and branded domestically, as New Delhi seeks to move beyond assembling devices for foreign brands.

The robotics industry has come a long way since robots were first built starting in the mid-20th century. Yet LEACHIM, a robot teacher and one of the world's first humanoids created back in the 1970s, may hold a key clue as companies seek to transition their technological advancements into on-the-ground deployment: develop machines that solve real-world problems.

LG Display expects foldable smartphones to grow faster than the market had forecast. That outlook carries a complication: the company reportedly does not make folding phone screens. On its third-quarter earnings call on October 22, Seung-ryong Baek, vice president for small display planning, said a customer's new foldable had drawn growing interest since pre-orders opened on October 16.

The MIPI Alliance held this year's MIPI Demo Day Taipei at the Grand Hyatt Taipei this week, where 16 member companies demonstrated working products to more than 200 developers and engineers. Founded in 2003 to standardize camera and display interfaces for smartphones, the alliance now serves automotive, IoT, industrial, medical, and PC applications, with AI driving its next expansion into AR glasses and humanoid robots.

According to reports from Financial News, ETNews, News1 and Yonhap, Samsung Electronics' postponement of an event has intensified scrutiny of internal communications, bonus disparities, and preparations for 2027 wage talks as DX employees challenge compensation arrangements favoring the memory-focused DS division, while unions contest who should represent workers in negotiations expected to begin integrating demands in December.

Apple has raised its iPhone Duo shipment target by 44%, from 9.7 million to 14 million units over 12 months, as strong consumer demand for its first foldable iPhone prompts the company to increase orders. Supply chain sources say the move signals confidence in sales, while forecasts for other models remain mixed.

IBM's third quarter went some way towards answering whether the deal slippage that hit its second quarter reflected weaker demand or delayed timing. Revenue rose 5% year on year, or 6% at constant currency, to US$17.1 billion for the quarter ended September 30, 2026, an acceleration after a second quarter that led the company to cut its full-year outlook in July.

Surging memory prices are forcing e-reader makers to raise prices, weakening demand and clouding E Ink Holdings' 2026 outlook. E Ink has cut its revenue-growth forecast, while Netronix expects shipments to remain flat. The companies are looking to electronic shelf labels, advertising displays, and products to offset pressure on consumer electronics.

Rising memory prices are squeezing smartphone makers and consumers, pushing shipments to their lowest third-quarter level since 2012, and accelerating the market's retreat from entry-level devices. Brands are raising prices, cutting low-margin models, and limiting production, while delayed upgrades and interest in used and refurbished phones further weigh on demand.

Thermaltake is targeting the growing edge AI market with a new workstation lineup. Chairman Kenny Lin said the company has transformed from a gaming components maker into an AI PC and workstation systems provider. The company plans to launch three product lines in the second half of 2026 and aims for AI-related products to contribute 5% to 10% of revenue in 2027.