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Monday 26 May 2025
China eases rare earth curbs, drone makers to resume shipments
China has quietly relaxed export restrictions on rare earth elements crucial for drone manufacturing after the controls threatened to derail the industry's growth, according to people familiar with the matter. The move comes as both Beijing and Washington face mounting pressure from material shortages and stockpile risks
Monday 26 May 2025
QPC plans major transformation in 2025 with 75% of products exported
Qualipoly Chemical Corporation (QPC) announced that 2025 will be a year of significant transformation. The Annan plant is expected to begin trial production and ramp up operations in the third quarter, while the Yong'an plant is currently investing in building large-scale electronic chemical material reactors and planning subsequent capacity expansions. Additional ongoing projects include expanding PSMA production capacity and constructing automated warehousing facilities
Monday 26 May 2025
Nvidia reportedly develops new lower-cost AI chip for China to skirt US export curbs
Nvidia is reportedly developing another lower-cost AI chip for China, pricing it at US$6,500–8,000—well below its restricted H20 model. The new GPU, based on Blackwell architecture, is designed to comply with US export rules as Nvidia seeks to defend its market share amid tightening trade controls
Monday 26 May 2025
Samsung Galaxy phone prices could surge by 40% due to 25% tariff
Starting June 2025, Samsung Galaxy smartphones exported to the US may be subject to a 25% import tariff, a move that could push retail prices up by as much as 40%, according to South Korean media reports. The tariffs are part of a broader trade policy push by US President Donald Trump aimed at reshoring tech manufacturing
Monday 26 May 2025
Weekly news roundup: Huawei's 5G lead, DeepSeek's LLM moves, and TSMC's packaging gap
These are the most-read DIGITIMES Asia stories from the week of May 19 – May 25. Highlights include China's accelerating push for tech self-sufficiency with new AI chips and operating systems, TSMC's global fab and packaging expansion gaps, Wolfspeed's looming bankruptcy amid China's SiC surge, and Huawei's growing dominance in 5G infrastructure as Western RAN giants retreat. From Computex showdowns to DeepSeek's LLM momentum, here's what topped the headlines
Monday 26 May 2025
Xiaomi enters 3nm race, but Lei Jun says it's no Apple showdown
Xiaomi has launched its first self-designed 3nm system-on-chip, the XRing O1, positioning it as the cornerstone of a broader push into advanced semiconductors. Debuting inside both the Xiaomi 15S Pro smartphone and the Xiaomi Pad 7 Ultra tablet, the chip anchors the company's latest hardware rollout. CEO Lei Jun also introduced the XRing T1, Xiaomi's inaugural smartwatch chip, which incorporates the brand's first in-house 4G baseband processor
Monday 26 May 2025
BYD topples Tesla in Europe— signals changing of the guard in EV race
China's EV giant BYD has overtaken Tesla in monthly sales across Europe for the first time, marking a pivotal shift in the region's automotive landscape and highlighting the growing clout of Chinese automakers on the global stage
Monday 26 May 2025
Xiaomi takes aim at MediaTek with 3nm XRing O1 breakthrough

Xiaomi's launch of the XRing O1 at its "New Starting Point" event in Beijing marked more than just a new chip release—it was a direct challenge to industry giants Apple, Qualcomm, and MediaTek. Backed by over CNY13.5 billion (approx. US$1.87 billion) in R&D across four years, the XRing O1 is Xiaomi's first successful flagship SoC since the ill-fated Surge S1, signaling a serious shift in the company's silicon ambitions, as ICsmart and Reuters report

Friday 23 May 2025
Luxshare makes Suzhou epicenter of its US$4.2B push into acoustics, robotics, and wearable tech

Following a high-profile signing in February, Luxshare Precision has launched the next phase of its major project in Kunshan, Suzhou. According to the official WeChat account "Kunshan Release" on May 20, the company's Phase I acoustic industry facility at Luxshare Science Park in Jinxi Town has commenced production, with construction on Phase II now underway

Friday 23 May 2025
China's XPeng levels up: 1Q25 glow-up fuels AI mobility, global ascent
XPeng is bucking the slowdown in global electric vehicle (EV) demand by rebranding itself as an AI-driven smart mobility platform. The Chinese automaker is pivoting from traditional car manufacturing to focus on AI-powered vehicles, international growth, and humanoid robotics as part of its long-term transformation strategy
Friday 23 May 2025
XPeng rewrites mobility script with AI chips, robot pilots, and LiDAR-free autonomy
As AI foundation models embed deeper into vehicle system architecture, China's XPeng Motors is shifting from conventional car manufacturing to a full-stack AI mobility platform. Its strategy now revolves around three core pillars: large-scale automotive foundation models, in-house AI chips, and humanoid robots—laying the groundwork for the next decade of intelligent transportation
Friday 23 May 2025
DeepSeek's next move? Wenfeng Liang stays silent on R2, releases V3 study instead
On January 20, 2025, China's DeepSeek unveiled its R1 model, marking a strategic breakthrough in the global race for large language models (LLMs). Spearheaded by founder Wenfeng Liang, R1 departed from the US model of large-scale compute and instead championed a lean, open-source approach focused on cost efficiency
Friday 23 May 2025
China's rare earth export restrictions choke key supply chains in Europe and the US
The recent tariff negotiations between the US and China have led to short-term concessions in some areas, but unresolved issues continue to tighten the noose on global supply chains. Among these, China's expanded restrictions on rare earth exports are significantly impacting critical industries, leaving European and American supply chains scrambling
Friday 23 May 2025
Nvidia bets on Taipei, but can Taiwan deliver?
As Nvidia chooses to build its overseas headquarters in Taipei, Taiwan's government is promising to be more than a host. It wants to be Nvidia's strongest ally. But can it keep that promise
Friday 23 May 2025
Samsung launches Dual-Site 1c DRAM expansion to bolster HBM4 leadership
Samsung Electronics is doubling down on its leadership in advanced memory technology. Following its latest developments at the Pyeongtaek facility, industry sources report that Samsung also plans to establish a mass production line for sixth-generation 1c DRAM at its Hwaseong campus. Investments are slated to commence as early as the end of 2025. Industry analysts in South Korea interpret this move as a clear signal of Samsung's growing confidence in its yield improvement capabilities
Research Report Database
Intel signals overhaul of IDM 2.0 and foundry strategy with Lip-Bu Tan's appointment, says DIGITIMES