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Market sentiment toward the 2026 smartphone outlook has turned increasingly pessimistic. On the supply side, rising component costs have expanded beyond memory to include across-the-board chip price hikes, making it unclear whether the initial round of handset price increases seen in early 2026 will be the only one....

The surge of generative artificial intelligence is reshaping not only computing power but also the very geography of data centers, extending their reach beyond Earth's atmosphere. In recent years, SpaceX has steadily expanded its low-Earth orbit satellite deployments and submitted a new round of satellite plans to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)....

China's semiconductor equipment market is emerging as a critical growth engine for South Korean suppliers, driven by accelerating AI deployment and tighter restrictions on US vendors. Demand for advanced packaging tools is running ahead of expectations, with high-bandwidth memory (HBM) and 2.5D packaging advancing in tandem as central pillars of future growth. At the same time, Beijing's push for supply chain localization is reshaping competitive dynamics and limiting foreign access....

India is accelerating its push to build a self-reliant electronics and semiconductor ecosystem, approving new component projects, supporting local display and chip manufacturing, and tightening market access for Chinese products, as rising investments, policy incentives, and global partnerships position the country as an emerging hub in the global supply chain....

AI data center demand is tightening memory supply while NAND makers phase out low-capacity legacy nodes. Shenzhen Techwinsemi Technology said rising NAND prices are squeezing margins for devices priced near CNY1,000, even as supply shifts create new growth opportunities. The company has secured partnerships with leading Chinese smartphone vendors....

After soaring more than 2,200% over the past year, DDR4 16Gb spot prices have finally begun to decline, signaling a growing polarization in the memory market in the first quarter of 2026. While DRAM and NAND Flash contract prices remain strong on the back of supply constraints and server demand, spot markets — especially in China — are experiencing sharp drops amid weak consumer demand and inventory sell-offs....

Taiwan has long been synonymous with semiconductors and high-tech electronics, but the bulk of its industrial base tells a different story. The country's traditional manufacturing sector — spanning metalworking, textiles, chemicals, and plastics — comprises more than 90% of all manufacturing activity, with 85,300 companies employing 2.08 million people, according to Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) Deputy Minister Chin-tsang Ho....

Facing the risk of a prolonged Iran conflict, Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix have reportedly begun strengthening their helium supply chain management for semiconductor manufacturing. Both companies plan to diversify suppliers beyond the Middle East and adjust import ratios by country to maintain stable supply chains....

The global smartphone market is set for its steepest decline in more than a decade in 2026, as surging memory prices drive up device costs and weaken demand, according to the International Data Corporation (IDC) and industry sources....

E Ink Holdings (EIH) posted record revenue and operating profit in 2025, as rising AI-related power demand and energy constraints are driving adoption of low-power display technologies, according to DIGITIMES analyst Jason Yang....

Taiwan has spent the past decade quietly assembling one of Asia's most capable space industries, with more than 250 companies now active across satellites, rockets, and related systems. The sector's leading trade body is now ready to take that story to the world. The Taiwan Space Industry Development Association (TSIDA) announced it will send a delegation abroad for the first time in 2026, targeting two of the industry's most prominent international gatherings — the US Small Satellite Conference and Europe's Space Tech Expo....

The explosive growth in artificial intelligence (AI) servers and high-performance computing (HPC) is driving up the value of key components like ABF substrates. With ongoing bottlenecks in the global supply chain for advanced packaging substrates, South Korea's Samsung Electro-Mechanics (Semco) has proactively restructured its product lineup and increased prices. This move reflects not only rising raw material costs but also a structural shift where demand far exceeds supply....

Samsung Electronics reportedly faces renewed strike risk after union talks stalled, threatening already tight mature-node semiconductor supply chains. Power management ICs (PMICs) and display driver ICs (DDICs) are seen as the most exposed segments, given constrained capacity and firm demand....

Amazon is in advanced discussions to acquire the satellite communications provider Globalstar, a move that could significantly strengthen its ambitions in low-Earth orbit broadband and sharpen its challenge to SpaceX and its dominant Starlink network, according to people familiar with the negotiations....

Montage Technology reported full-year 2025 revenue of CNY5.46 billion (US$750 million), up 49.9% year on year, while net profit rose 58.4% to CNY2.24 billion, broadly in line with expectations. Adjusted net profit reached CNY2.02 billion, up 62.0%, reflecting solid underlying demand....

The global AI narrative is often reduced to a struggle between US- and China-based tech giants. However, a quieter yet more significant movement is emerging among second-tier industrial powers. During a recent lecture, DIGITIMES chairman Colley Hwang spoke about how nations such as Germany, Japan, France, and Canada are increasingly focused on building sovereign AI....

Nanya Technology Corporation (NTC) reported March 2026 revenue of NT$18.17 billion (approx. US$568.15 million), up 16.42% month-over-month and 560.04% year-over-year. First-quarter revenue climbed to NT$49.09 billion, surging 582.91% to a record high, underscoring a sharp rebound in the DRAM cycle....

Operating across Taiwan and Silicon Valley, the artificial intelligence start-up Anvil Robotics said on April 2 that it had raised US$6.5 million in seed funding, led by Matter Venture Partners, a Silicon Valley investor focused on semiconductors, robotics, and advanced manufacturing. The company said the funds would be used to accelerate development of its "physical AI" infrastructure platform and expand into global markets....

Taiwanese foundry Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp. (PSMC) and France's CEA-Leti have signed a multi-year agreement on April 3 aimed at easing one of artificial intelligence's most pressing constraints: rising power consumption and data-transfer bottlenecks inside data centers, executives said in an interview with DIGITIMES Asia....

Europe is stepping up semiconductor ties with Taiwan as it seeks to turn research strength into commercial production, with foundries such as Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp. (PSMC) playing a growing role in bridging that gap as the artificial intelligence race intensifies....