Canalys reported on February 11, 2025, that Southeast Asia's smartphone market rebounded in 2024, growing 11% year-over-year after two years of decline, with 96.7 million units shipped. Oppo led the market for the first time with an 18% share, followed closely by Samsung Electronics (Samsung) (17%), while Transsion and Xiaomi shared third place (16%), and Vivo rounded out the top five (13%)
Taiwan's Minister of Economic Affairs J.W. Kuo held discussions with a Kyushu Regional Strategic Council delegation during their visit to Taiwan on February 11, 2025
In its latest earnings call, China's leading pure-play foundry, SMIC, acknowledged an increase in domestic competition, resulting in a growing supply even as demand begins to recover. The company is aiming to capture a larger share of revenue from the automotive sector, driven by the heightened competitiveness among Chinese automakers
US President Donald Trump's first-term restrictions on silicon carbide (SiC), intended to limit China's access to the crucial third-generation semiconductor material under national security concerns, have had an unintended effect: catalyzing unprecedented growth in China's domestic SiC industry. By the start of Trump's second term in 2025, Chinese manufacturers had developed capabilities that could fundamentally alter the global SiC landscape
Two of China's largest state-owned automotive enterprises have announced plans for a strategic reorganization. Dongfeng Motor Corporation and Changan Automobile (Changan), both under the China South Industries Group Corporation, are preparing for what would become the first significant consolidation among Chinese car manufacturers in 2025, attracting significant market attention
Apple is partnering with Alibaba Group to introduce artificial intelligence features in China, strengthening its position in a crucial market where it has struggled to establish a strong AI presence
Samsung Electronics unveiled its latest flagship, the Galaxy S25, on February 10, with pre-order pickups for retailers starting on February 11. According to Jacob Chen, GM of Samsung Taiwan's Mobile Communications Division, pre-orders for the S25 series in 2025 have recorded double-digit growth compared to the S24 series in 2024, underscoring strong market demand
Despite a surge in sales, SMIC is still facing a decline in profit due to increasing competition from other Chinese foundries. Additionally, the company remains committed to supporting high-end chip manufacturing, even though it is likely to yield low returns. The fourth quarter, typically an off-season period, has further contributed to lower utilization rates and a decrease in wafer production
China's ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT) is emerging as a formidable player in the global DRAM market, potentially challenging Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix's market dominance. This development bears striking similarities to South Korea's disruption of Japan's memory industry decades ago
South Korean memory maker SK Hynix saw its exports of multi-chip packages (MCP) fall by nearly 30% sequentially in January 2025. At the same time, some analysts believe that after two years of rapid growth, high-bandwidth memory (HBM) is becoming more sensitive to seasonal demand changes
Shortly after taking office, US President Donald Trump took an aggressive stance against electric vehicles (EVs) and wind power, while the European Union (EU) and automakers remain locked in a tug-of-war over carbon emission penalties. In stark contrast, China's new energy vehicle (NEV) market continues to expand, bolstered by strong government support
With the start of the Trump 2.0 administration, the global PCB industry is preparing for changes, especially in Southeast Asia's competitive environment. China's PCB sector is expected to grow rapidly in 2024, reflecting a wider investment trend in Thailand. This situation offers challenges and opportunities for Taiwanese manufacturers
TSMC has notified several Chinese IC design companies that their chips at 16/14 nanometers or smaller nodes lack "approved OSAT" status on the US BIS whitelist and proper certification signatures from packaging facilities, leading to suspended shipments
Japanese automaker Isuzu Motors is planning to build a new pickup truck assembly plant in the US by 2027 that will produce electric vehicles (EV) and gas-powered cars
