The global smartphone market is approaching an unusual turning point in the second half of 2026. Artificial intelligence has become the industry's preferred growth narrative, while reports that Apple and Samsung Electronics are considering memory components from Chinese suppliers also reflect a market under mounting strain.
As generative AI moves from personal productivity tools into enterprise operations, most companies are discovering that scaling AI agents is less about ambition than reliability. Chunghwa Telecom Laboratories estimates that only about 5% of enterprises are using AI agents at scale, while roughly 80% remain stuck at the stage of making AI systems accurate, dependable, and controllable enough for production deployment.
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.
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.
Taiwan networking equipment maker Arcadyan Technology is accelerating its expansion beyond the residential broadband market.
