The same AI boom that is filling handsets with new features is draining the memory supply that makes cheap phones possible—and in India, the world's second-largest smartphone market, buyers are paying for both. Xiaomi India's leadership told HT Tech that prices will keep climbing through the second half of 2026 as the global chip shortage persists, even as the company doubles down on AI features it says should be felt rather than seen.

AI data center demand is accelerating the shift to faster optical interconnects, putting transmission speed, power efficiency, and packaging integration at the center of next-generation optical communications. Taiwan's Ligitek Electronics and Liverage Technology are working with the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) and Dutch photonic chip packaging specialist Phix on a cross-border silicon photonics program targeting phased milestones of 1.6T DR8 by the end of 2026 and 3.2T product development by the end of 2027.

Samsung Display (SDC) is expected to formally expand mass production of OLED panels for Apple's foldable iPhone starting in September 2026. Although the ramp-up for the foldable iPhone had previously been pushed back because production delays hit some components, including the hinge and substrate, the new OLED mass production schedule suggests SDC can still meet its full-year production target.

ByteDance and ZTE are preparing to launch the Nubia NaviX Ultra in September after the AI smartphone received China's network access approval, clearing the regulatory process from large-model filing to device certification.

Gemtek Technology announced that it is deepening its strategic cooperation with India's Dixon Technologies through their joint venture in India, expanding the manufacturing and market presence of its optical transceivers, bidirectional optical sub-assembly (BOSA), and other high-speed optical connectivity solutions.

Millimeter-wave phased-array solutions provider Tmytek is set to list on the Innovation Board in September. Although the company has yet to turn profitable, its revenue mix has been shifting rapidly in recent years as antenna modules take a larger share, raising hopes that earnings will improve as upcoming projects scale up.

Several Chinese smartphone brands raised prices across entry-level and premium models on September 1, citing IT Home, Antutu, MyDrivers and Sina. The increases coincided with the start of the back-to-school buying season in China and reflected the pass-through of higher component costs to end customers.

Tim Cook's tenure as Apple CEO has officially drawn to a close after nearly 15 years. Cook stepped down as CEO and became Executive Chairman, while Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering John Ternus took over as CEO. The move marks Apple's first major leadership transition since Cook succeeded Steve Jobs in 2011.

Apple has made another major management shake-up. After Tim Cook stepped down as CEO and was succeeded by John Ternus, formerly head of hardware engineering, veteran Phil Schiller is also stepping back from day-to-day operations, giving up responsibilities tied to the App Store and product launch events while remaining at Apple as an Apple Fellow to work on undisclosed projects.

What Tim Cook leaves John Ternus on September 1 is best measured not by margin but by geography. Cook spent twenty-eight years concentrating Apple's manufacturing in one country, then a decade trying to make that concentration politically survivable. Both halves are unfinished, and both are now Ternus's responsibility to bear.

India's market for Wi-Fi millimeter-wave (mmWave) fixed wireless access (FWA) remains at an early stage, with formal commercial standards still dependent on operators completing field trials and the country's Department of Telecommunications (DoT) advancing the regulatory process.