Rising memory prices have forced smartphone brands to raise handset prices, hurting new-device sales in 2026. Global smartphone shipments are expected to drop 15-17%, while demand for N-1 generation and used smartphones is surging, potentially pushing the used-phone market beyond 300 million units and creating new orders for display, battery, and casing suppliers.

Apple Executive Chairman Tim Cook made his first visit to China since stepping down as Apple CEO. He visited Guangdong Province, a manufacturing hub that contains much of the iPhone maker's supply chain ecosystem as it rolls out the iPhone 18 Pro series and its first foldable smartphones.

As the global smartphone system-on-chip (SoC) market contracts, competition in the high-end application processor (AP) segment is intensifying. MediaTek is accelerating its push into the flagship market, putting greater pressure on Samsung Electronics, which is promoting 2-nanometer Exynos chips.

Novatek reported stronger September and third-quarter 2026 revenue, suggesting seasonal smartphone demand and growth in edge AI chips are supporting the global display and chip supply chain. The results matter for international readers because they reflect broader shifts in consumer electronics demand, inventory patterns, and AI-related hardware spending.

Growth in the smartphone and notebook markets is slowing in 2026 as memory price hikes and other factors weigh on shipments. The market even expects that smartphone shipments in 2026 could fall by nearly 17% at the low end. Demand for wearables such as smartwatches and fitness bands, however, is rising, driven by more precise health monitoring and professional sports-tracking features.

Huawei consumer business group chairman Richard Yu said surging memory component costs have added more than US$200 to the hardware cost of each Huawei smartphone, putting fresh pressure on handset pricing as the broader memory market climbs rapidly.

Apple and LG Electronics are reportedly pairing up to create a line of smart home devices, though the devices will carry the LG brand name. The two companies are expanding their reach into the smart home market as both face headwinds in their home product segments.

Rising memory prices are already weighing on 2026 smartphone and notebook shipments, and sustained AI infrastructure investments are expected to keep quotes climbing into 2027. To counter softer buying interest as retail prices rise, hardware vendors like Samsung are pivoting to fresh strategies. Alongside cost controls and broader product line-ups, companies are increasingly prioritizing software differentiation, AI integration, post-purchase services, and aggressive promotion of previous-generation (N-1) models.

Touch panel maker General Interface Solution (GIS) saw its business rebound in the second half of the year. September consolidated revenue reached NT$6.164 billion (approx. US$194 million), up 46.38% month-over-month and 30.83% year-over-year. As shipments of a major customer's new foldable smartphone ramp up in the fourth quarter, GIS is set to gain further growth momentum in both revenue and shipments. Market analysts expect quarterly revenue to potentially reach a full-year high, surpassing the NT$16.08 billion (US$506.1 million) scale recorded in 1Q26.

Qualcomm announced on September 24 that it has renewed its global patent licensing agreement with Apple, with the new contract set to take effect on April 1, 2027. The terms and value of the deal were not disclosed, but Apple's long-running move toward in-house modem chips continues to draw close attention.

Sony plans to transfer 418 extended reality (XR) patents to Meta, with 43 of those transfers already completed. Analysts say the move signals Sony's retrenchment from XR hardware, while giving Meta a stronger patent position as it pushes deeper into AI glasses.

China's National Day holidays have opened one of the fourth quarter's most important promotional windows for consumer electronics. For smartphones, the timing is especially significant: Apple, Xiaomi, Vivo, Oppo and Honor have all launched new models since September, while Huawei introduced its Mate 90 series on October 1.

General Interface Solution (GIS) Holding is gaining traction in optical communications and other new products despite weak consumer electronics demand caused by rising memory prices. Its laser-source packaging and testing business has entered customer qualification and, if progress stays on track, could begin shipments in the fourth quarter of 2026, with a larger revenue contribution from the first quarter of 2027.

Samsung Electronics said its new Galaxy Z series foldable phones have beaten expectations after launch, with sales in the first month up significantly from the previous generation. The company does not think Apple's upcoming iPhone Duo will derail demand for Samsung's foldable smartphones.

Meta will link Naver Map's walking-navigation feature to its Ray-Ban Meta and Oakley Meta AI glasses in 2026, as it moves to strengthen its presence in South Korea before rival AI glasses from Google and Samsung Electronics arrive. According to South Korean media outlets Seoul Economic Daily and ETNews, the deal would make Naver the first South Korean company to partner with Meta in the AI glasses category.

Apple's iPhone 18 Pro series lifted first-week sales in China by 12% year over year, giving the soft smartphone market a much-needed boost and pushing Apple to the top of weekly sales with a 33% market share. The strong start underscores the brand loyalty that premium customers continue to show toward Apple's flagship phones, even amid market volatility.

After succeeding Tim Cook as Apple's chief executive, John Ternus is considering a broad organizational overhaul aimed at strengthening an engineering-centered R&D system, according to Bloomberg and Reuters. He is also weighing less reliance on Apple's traditional spring and fall product cycles in favor of more flexible and frequent device launches throughout the year.

Soaring memory procurement costs are pushing smartphone makers to pass expenses on to consumers. As artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure expansion continues to squeeze global memory supplies, Huawei has officially raised device prices, citing an average US$200 increase in per-unit manufacturing costs. The move follows similar price hikes by Samsung Electronics across its flagship portfolio.

Huawei Technologies has unveiled its Mate 90 smartphone series, expanding the use of self-developed Kirin processors and HarmonyOS 7 as it looks to sustain flagship performance under US restrictions on access to advanced chipmaking technology.

Samsung Electronics on October 1 unveiled its next-generation premium Galaxy Tab S12 series, its first clip-on wireless earbuds, the Galaxy Buds On, and the Galaxy SmartTag3, which expands iOS support. The three product lines target large-screen creation and multitasking, open-ear listening, and cross-platform item finding, underscoring Samsung's push to broaden the Galaxy ecosystem through software services and accessories.

Samsung Electronics is expected to report another operating loss at its Mobile eXperience and network business in the third quarter of 2026, even as strong Galaxy Z foldable sales support handset demand. The preliminary earnings release is due in early October 2026, with the pressure coming from sharply higher memory prices and limited ability to raise device prices.

Under pressure from rising memory prices, Samsung Electronics has raised the South Korean launch prices of its Galaxy S26 series about seven months after release. Most models went up by KRW149,600(US$110), while the top-end Galaxy S26 Ultra 1TB rose to KRW2.8215 million.

Huawei unveiled its Mate 90 smartphone series on October 1, with Richard Yu, Huawei executive director and chairman of the Consumer BG, introducing the new devices alongside a new generation of in-house chips and imaging hardware. Every model in the Mate 90 lineup, from the standard version to the flagship tier, uses Huawei's latest self-developed Tau (τ) chip platform.

Honor launched its first foldable smartphone in Taiwan, the Magic V6, on September 30, about six months after formally entering the local smartphone market in April 2026. The company hopes the premium flagship will strengthen its brand while helping increase its market share and revenue in Taiwan.