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.

Apple has unveiled new Mac mini and Mac Studio models, equipped respectively with its first 2-nanometer chip, the M6, and the four-die M5 Ultra. Most notably, the latest 2-nanometer process is used only in the entry-level Mac mini, while the 3-nanometer M5 Ultra is officially billed as the "most powerful M-series chip yet."

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.

Taiwan’s manufacturing business-climate indicator moved into the index’s red “prosperity” category in July, with the Taiwan Institute of Economic Research (TIER) saying on August 31 that a sharper rise in optimism among local manufacturers lifted its operating environment index. At the same time, year-over-year export growth to the US fell to 28.0% from 267.6% in January, the lowest level since February 2025.

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.

Samsung Electronics' first passport-style foldable, the Galaxy Z Fold8, is reportedly facing tight display driver IC (DDI) supply as demand exceeds expectations. Samsung has continued to raise component orders, but the related 22nm process capacity at United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC) has reached its limit.

Samsung Electronics launched its Galaxy S26 Fan Edition in the second half of 2026 with a starting price of 1.045 million won in South Korea, or about US$714, as it sought to round out its smartphone lineup and address rising component costs. According to ET News and Bloomberg, global sales of the 256GB model were set to begin on September 4.

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.

More than a year after Honor first debated the idea internally, its Robot Phone has moved from a contentious concept to a mass-produced commercial product. But the significance of the device extends beyond creating a smartphone with an unconventional form factor.

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.

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.

China's smartphone and memory supply chains are moving closer together, with Xiaomi's new Xring O3 processor potentially providing CXMT with an early commercial entry into the LPDDR6 era.

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.

Mobile phone sales are under pressure as shortages and price increases for multiple upstream components squeeze the market. But brand makers have stepped up new product launches, with Samsung Electronics, Honor, Oppo, and Google already rolling out devices, and Xiaomi, Sony, and Vivo set to follow.

Rising gold prices are squeezing Samsung Electronics' entry-level smartphone supply chain, with South Korean media reporting that back-end packaging and testing orders for display driver ICs (DDIs) used in the Galaxy A1 series OLED panels have moved from South Korea's LB Semicon to Taiwan's Chipbond Technology to ease manufacturing cost pressure.

Apple on Aug. 25 introduced M6 in a new Mac mini and M5 Ultra in a new Mac Studio, framing both chips around AI compute and memory bandwidth rather than conventional CPU headline numbers. The more consequential detail is that M6 is Apple's first 2-nanometer part — putting a Mac, not an iPhone, at the front of the node transition.

The global small-size OLED market was flat in the second quarter of 2026 as seasonal weakness and cautious inventory management by Chinese device makers slowed demand. Samsung Display, however, outperformed the market on stronger shipments of foldable phone panels.

India has continued to push next-generation communications infrastructure, and the Telecommunication Engineering Centre (TEC) under the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has officially released a Provisional Generic Requirement for Wi-Fi technology in the licensed 26 GHz (n258) band, opening the door for manufacturers and telecom operators to conduct field trials in real-world environments.

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).

YouTube is preparing offers of millions of dollars in funding and brand revenue sharing to keep major creators from taking simultaneous streaming deals with Netflix, according to Bloomberg. The move comes as the two platforms compete more directly for top talent and audience attention in the US and beyond.

Xiaomi is expanding its in-house semiconductor push from smartphones into AI acceleration and autonomous driving, unveiling three Xring processors that deepen its reliance on TSMC manufacturing while reducing dependence on external chip suppliers.

Google's newly launched Pixel 11 series drew a strong preorder response in Taiwan after telecom carriers rolled out expanded promotions and sales plans. The early momentum has renewed attention on whether Google can lift its local smartphone share above 5%.