The handset supply chain is expected to bid farewell to 2019 with much improvements from those disappointing results seen during the end of 2018 when the handset market was hit by a demand chill. Taiwan-based PCB makers have seen order visibility extend to early 2020, and they are now ready to keep...

Taiwan-based heat dissipation solution provider Forcecon Technology has introduced a new form of heat pipe, thermal ground plane (TGP), thickened 0.2mm for notebook and smartphone applications, according to company chairman Yao Cheng-chi.

Wireless networking solution provider AboCom System has begun shipping VCSEL chips for 100G and 200G optical transceivers and plans to ramp up output in the third quarter of 2020 with an additional investment of NT$100-200 million (US$3.279-6.559 million), according to company chairman Chi Cheng-Hsi...

Demand for anylayer HDI boards from Chinese handset vendors has been increasing sharply as such boards are badly needed for carrying 7nm APs, now mainstream core SoCs for their smartphones, according to industry sources.

Metal-alloy chassis maker Catcher Technology has seen orders from the smartphone sector continue ramping up, with the momentum likely to last into the first quarter of 2020, according to company chairman Allen Hung. Catcher is reportedly among the suppliers for Apple's iPhone 11 lineup.

The US-China trade war may be hurting the economy of both countries, but as far as the server industry is concerned, the impact on the Chinese market seems greater than that on the US. It may take a few more months before China's server market...

Unit prices for SoC chips used in true wireless stereo (TWS) earbuds have fallen below US$1.50 recently, down from US$2.50-3 in the first quarter of 2019, amid growing presence of major chipset vendors in the maket segment, according to industry sources.

There has been much hype about the arrival of the 5G era, but 4G is still very much alive and kicking. Global smartphone sales have slowed down in 2019, but Taiwanese IC designers have seen demand for 4G smartphone chips rebound in the...

TPK Holding's small-size silver nanowire-based touch solutions have entered design-in processes of 1-2 foldable handsets, according to Leo Hsieh, president of the touch module and sensor maker.

A decline in chip demand for 4G smartphones seems to have bottomed out, according to industry sources in Taiwan.

Following several months of aggressive inventory build-up in the wake of the US trade ban, Huawei has slowed down the pace of orders for Taiwanese chip suppliers in the fourth quarter, as it conducts year-end stock-taking. But Huawei's order...

Taiwan-based hinge makers are expected to significantly benefit from foldable smartphones slated for launch in the second half of 2020, according to sources from the related supply chain.

Samsung Electronics is mulling using ToF-based 3D sensing technology for facial recognition for its upcoming Galaxy Note 11 slated for the second half of 2020, instead of in-display ultrasonic fingerprint sensors used in Galaxy S10 and Note 10 lineups that have been hit by security issues recently,...

Taiwan-based IC design houses have seen orders from Huawei slow down recently, but remain upbeat that orders from the Chinese vendor will start picking up in the first half of 2020, according to industry sources.

Server demand may have been slow in 2019 with clients adjusting inventory, but orders are expected to pick up in 2020. Major suppliers are eyeing different segments for server shipment growth. The year 2020 is promising not just for the...

Taiwanese PCB maker Zhen Ding Technology (ZDT) and Austrian peer AT&S are expected to together land at least 50-60% of substrate-like PCB orders for Apple's next iPhones to be launched in 2020, according to industry sources.

MediaTek is expected to ship over 50 million 5G SoC chips in 2020, during which it will roll out three to four 5G SoC series supporting both sub-6GHz and mmWave, according to industry sources.

Smartphone-use lens module maker Largan Precision has reported consolidated revenues of NT$6.626 billion (US$217 million) for October, hitting a monthly record for the third consecutive month with growth of 0.45% sequentially and 27.20% on year.

Asustek may ship less than 400,000 units of its second-generation gaming smartphone, the ROG Phone II, in 2019 due to a shortfall in component supply and unsmooth production planning at its China-based production partner, according to industry watchers.

The emerging AI and 5G applications will be triggering the next phase of growth in the global semiconductor market, according to TSMC chairman Mark Liu.

Sales of the new iPhone 11 series have been stronger-than-expected but may hit the ceiling soon, which may eventually create pressure for supply chain partners to cut quotes, according to industry sources.

MediaTek expects to post flat growth or an up to 8% decrease sequentially in revenues for the fourth quarter of 2019, with gross margin ranging from 40.5% to 43.5% compared with 42.1% in the prior quarter.

The rising penetration rate of handsets, slow market demand and looming commercial operations of 5G networks has ushered in a structural change in China's handset market where sales are moving to focus more on branded products and fewer new models are being launched.

With TSMC expressing optimism about 5G smartphone shipments next year, market observers are closely watching MediaTek, speculating whether it will give a more upbeat outlook than a quarter earlier for the 5G smartphone market in 2020.

China has shown strong ambition to raise its IC self-sufficiency. Although Samsung, SK Hynix and Micron have been victorious following a consolidation of the global DRAM industry at the expense of Taiwanese makers, Chinese newcomers seem...