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.
Luxshare Precision's highly anticipated Hong Kong debut got off to a shaky start despite securing the city's largest IPO of 2026, underscoring investor skepticism over the Apple supplier's long-term transformation strategy.
Shipments of smartwatches with edge AI features leaped 70% in the first quarter of 2026, with Apple overwhelmingly leading the charge, according to Counterpoint Research. This market is taking off as health-focused users gain access to deeper insights through AI advancements, and as brands lean on wearables to offset weak smartphone sales.
India has scrapped import duties on a targeted set of components and factory machinery used to build smartphones, displays, and lithium-ion cells, a move that deepens New Delhi's drive to pull more of the global electronics supply chain onto Indian soil and away from China and Vietnam.
India's decision to clear a smartphone-manufacturing joint venture between Dixon Technologies and Vivo Mobile India could reset how the country handles Chinese capital in its fast-growing electronics sector, signaling that Beijing-linked investment can pass New Delhi's tightened scrutiny when it is structured under local majority control.
As the EU's General Safety Regulation provisions on driver distraction take effect, direct driver monitoring has become a standard safety technology in one of the world's largest automotive markets. The new rule requires all new cars sold in Europe to be equipped with advanced driver distraction warning (ADDW) systems, making in-cabin cameras and sensors a critical requirement for vehicle safety.
Largan said on July 9, 2026, that shipments of its variable-aperture lens will begin ramping up in the third quarter, and that it has already received formal specifications from a volume customer for co-packaged optics (CPO) shipments, and will send samples this month. The second half of the year is the traditional peak season for the optics industry. Chairman En-Ping Lin said July would be a little better than June, and August would be better than July, adding that third quarter capacity utilization is currently full. Regarding the third quarter gross margin, Lin stressed that the key factor will be yield, as new products continue to roll out.
Ledlink said its turnaround is strengthening, with losses narrowing in the first quarter of 2026 and growth returning in the second quarter. The shift reflects rising demand in automotive lighting, a trend with implications for global EV, smart-car, and professional lighting supply chains.
Smoke, heat, and a 100°C ceiling — Taiwan's rescue robot walked right through it. Taiwan's domestically developed quadruped robot platform has become the first fire-rescue robot dog in the country to pass functional verification, clearing the way for future use at fire scenes. The milestone comes after the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) and local industry partners completed multiple field application validations with agencies including Taiwan Power and the National Fire Agency, and follows the platform's formal unveiling on July 8, 2026, with National Fire Agency Deputy Director-General Wan-Yao Chien attending in support.
It walks, it climbs, it reads gauges — and it's 100% homegrown. Taiwan's first domestically developed quadruped robot dog platform officially debuted on July 8, after the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) spent more than a year working with local academia and industry to complete two prototype models.
The 2026 smartphone market is facing a dark outlook as memory prices rise and shortages tighten supply, weighing on low- and mid-range handsets and hitting power amplifier (PA) shipments. Supply-chain companies said weaker gross margins are prompting brand owners to cut production and delay new model launches, while consumer caution is also dragging on demand.
SK Group chairman Tae-Won Chey is reportedly set to travel to the US for SK Hynix's American depositary receipt (ADR) listing on Nasdaq, where he will personally attend the celebration in New York. The move is being seen as more than a capital market event, as it marks an important moment in SK Hynix's effort to reposition itself from a traditional memory maker into a core company in AI infrastructure.
