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Friday 28 August 2026
Apple's M6 marks a transitional step before wider 2nm adoption
Apple on August 25 unveiled the M6 and M5 Ultra chips without holding a launch event, with the M6 becoming the company's first processor built on TSMC's 2nm process and debuting in the new Mac mini. But industry watchers say the M6's short-term significance lies mainly in showcasing 2nm design technology, not in delivering immediate commercial gains.
Friday 28 August 2026
Samsung absorbs memory costs to chase smartphone crown
Global smartphone shipments are set to shrink sharply in 2026 as soaring memory and core component prices hit the market, but Samsung Electronics is moving in the opposite direction. Rather than passing costs fully on to consumers like some rivals, Samsung plans to keep shipment volume steady through the Galaxy S26, Galaxy Z Fold 8, and Galaxy A series, and could even retake the No. 1 spot in global smartphone shipments.
Thursday 27 August 2026
Tri-fold, rollable foldables intensify materials supply chain battle
Samsung Electronics' first tri-fold handset of 2025, the Galaxy Z TriFold, has repeatedly sold out, but with global shipments of only about 30,000 units, it functioned more as a technology showcase. A second-generation model is expected in the second half of 2027, with thinner designs, durability, and mass production capability as the next focus.
Thursday 27 August 2026
Apple, Huawei foldables to collide in September, lifting ultra-thin glass, hinge and cooling demand
Huawei and Apple are set to intensify competition in foldable smartphones in September, accelerating demand across a supply chain spanning foldable OLED panels, ultra-thin glass, hinges, flexible printed circuits and thermal components.
Tuesday 25 August 2026
Smartphone lens maker Largan spends US$179m on four Taichung plants in two months
Largan Precision, the world's largest maker of smartphone camera lenses and a longtime supplier of lenses for Apple's iPhone, said on August 25 it would buy land and buildings in Taichung's Nantun district for NT$3.08 billion (approx. US$98 million). It is the company's fourth industrial property purchase in two months.
Tuesday 25 August 2026
AI boom drives Foxconn past 40% of Taiwan-listed firms' China returns, with FII leading the way
Global demand for AI and high-performance computing (HPC) has lifted investment returns for Taiwan-listed companies in China, with Foxconn continuing to lead the pack. According to CRIF, Foxconn's total China investment returns in the first half of 2026 reached NT$117.6 billion (US$3.7 billion).
Friday 7 August 2026
VisEra Technologies sees stronger 2H26 on recovering demand across three end markets
TSMC-affiliated optical sensing chipmaker VisEra Technologies said at its earnings conference on August 6 that business momentum rebounded significantly in the second quarter of 2026, driven by stable shipments of smartphone CMOS image sensors (CIS).
Thursday 6 August 2026
Apple scrambles to secure DRAM as US$1 billion worth of iPhone 18 chips reportedly await packaging

Apple and its manufacturing partners are rushing to secure mobile DRAM ahead of the expected launch of the iPhone 18 lineup, as about US$1 billion worth of next-generation processors reportedly remain unable to move into packaging without sufficient memory supply.

Wednesday 5 August 2026
Smartphone makers brace for lower volumes, higher prices, and deeper market split
Apple, Qualcomm, and MediaTek delivered similar warnings last week: the global smartphone market is entering a more expensive, more polarized phase. For users, this means fewer affordable devices, fewer upgrade options, and greater pressure on smartphone prices until memory supply improves and chip costs ease.
Tuesday 4 August 2026
RichWave says Wi-Fi 7 momentum stays strong in 2H26

RichWave Technology said at a recent earnings call that Wi-Fi 7 adoption continues to rise rapidly, with strong demand from telecom operators and retailers. The radio frequency (RF) front-end supplier said that the second half of 2026 should be slightly better than the first half of the year overall, but warned that tight supply of memory and passive components could affect shipment timing.

Monday 3 August 2026
Apple says advanced-node capacity tightens amid 2nm race

Apple reported its best-ever third-quarter results for fiscal 2026, but its guidance for the fourth quarter showed much slower growth than in the prior quarter. CEO Tim Cook said the shortage of advanced-node capacity for mobile SoCs is the biggest limit on the company's expansion.

Monday 3 August 2026
Xiaomi raises flagship phone prices as memory and chip costs climb
Xiaomi raised prices on several flagship smartphones in China on August 2, including the REDMI Turbo 5, K90 series, and Xiaomi 17 series, according to Xiaomi Store. The move adds CNY300 to CNY500 (US$44.46 to US$74.10) to each individual product depending on price positioning, with the largest increase reaching more than 10%.
Saturday 1 August 2026
MediaTek eyes high-single-digit revenue growth, 20% ASIC share by 2027
MediaTek held an investor conference on July 31, 2026, with CEO Rick Tsai reiterating that ASIC revenue will reach US$2 billion in 2026. He also said the total addressable market for cloud ASICs will reach US$80 billion in 2027, while lifting the company's target market share to 15-20%.
Friday 31 July 2026
Qualcomm, MediaTek set Sept flagship SoC showdown
Qualcomm and MediaTek are preparing to unveil their latest 2nm flagship smartphone system-on-chip (SoC) platforms in September 2026, with both brands expected to launch standard and upgraded chips at the same time to meet different customer needs. Supply chain sources say the two chipmakers will no longer rely on a single product for flagship phones in 2026, but instead offer two separate specifications.
Wednesday 29 July 2026
Samsung reportedly weighs Chinese DRAM for budget smartphones as memory inflation squeezes mobile market
Samsung Electronics is considering using low-cost Chinese mobile DRAM in smartphones sold in China as it looks to cut manufacturing costs and expand its presence in the country's budget handset market, according to Asia Time.
Tuesday 28 July 2026
Samsung trims Z Fold8 display module 10% using Flex Titanium
Samsung Electronics has introduced Flex Titanium technology in its next-generation foldables, the Galaxy Z Fold8 and Z Fold8 Ultra, cutting display module thickness by 10% to make room for a larger battery and improve user experience. According to ZDNet Korea, Samsung is applying the technology to these two models for the first time.
Tuesday 28 July 2026
SK Hynix enters LPDDR6 production race with Xiaomi first in line
SK Hynix reportedly plans to begin mass production and shipments of LPDDR6 in the second half of 2026, with Xiaomi expected to become its first customer for mobile devices. Industry sources said an early LPDDR6 launch would strengthen SK Hynix's position in premium mobile DRAM and lay the groundwork for expansion into AI server memory.
Tuesday 28 July 2026
Samsung eyes Chinese DRAM sourcing to cut costs, expand budget-phone share in China
Samsung Electronics is evaluating the use of lower-cost Chinese DRAM in some smartphones as it seeks to offset rising component costs and regain momentum in China's highly competitive budget handset market.
Tuesday 28 July 2026
Apple, Micron's clash over CXMT puts White House in the middle
Apple and Micron are fighting over whether the smartphone maker can buy memory chips from Chinese manufacturer ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT) for non-US devices, a move opposed by Micron. Both companies are lobbying the administration of US President Donald Trump, which could force him to make an uncomfortable choice between his goals of cheaper prices or domestic chip production.
Monday 27 July 2026
Apple reportedly delays smart glasses launch to late 2027 due to privacy risks
Apple plans to present its first smart glasses during its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June 2027 before opening them for sale later in the year. This timeline has reportedly been set back from an original introduction this year due to work being done to figure out how to balance users' privacy with the many AI functions the products are set to offer.
Monday 27 July 2026
Samsung, LG Display chiefs talk 2H26 memory headwinds and OLED push
Samsung Display's (SDC) and LG Display's (LGD) presidents told media at the K-Display 2026 show that memory-related cost pressure will persist into the second half of 2026, even as both companies step up OLED investment and technology development to defend competitiveness through differentiation and customer-focused strategies.
Friday 24 July 2026
Apple prepares sweeping Mac refresh, betting on AI-driven demand
Apple is gearing up for a broad update to its entire Mac lineup, aiming to ride the wave of demand for high-performance computers driven by AI. New versions of nearly every Mac model are expected to roll out between this fall and next year.
Thursday 23 July 2026
Apple and Klarna target sticker shock with Apple Upgrade device leasing plan
Apple plans to introduce a new device leasing program, marking a significant departure from how it has previously sold its products. The new payments scheme may help convince customers to keep investing in hardware at a time when rising component costs are forcing smartphone companies to raise their prices.
Wednesday 22 July 2026
LG Display eyes tandem OLED for smartphones as AI drives demand for power-efficient screens
LG Display plans to expand tandem OLED technology beyond TVs, monitors and automotive displays into smartphones and wearables as on-device artificial intelligence (AI) raises power-efficiency requirements for mobile devices.
Wednesday 22 July 2026
Samsung's next Galaxy phones may deepen Qualcomm reliance, underscoring the limits of Exynos revival
Samsung Electronics is expected to rely heavily on Qualcomm chips in its next Galaxy phones, according to market reports, a sign that the company is still prioritizing flagship performance and AI features over wider use of its in-house Exynos processors. The expected shift comes as memory prices rise and pressure builds on smartphone costs.