A brewing conflict between SK Hynix and its long-time supplier, Hanmi Semiconductor, over thermal compression bonder (TC Bonder; TCB) equipment has intensified, potentially reshuffling the high-bandwidth memory (HBM) supply chain. Hanwha Semitech, a newer player, stands to benefit as SK Hynix explores alternative suppliers amid rising tensions

Apple supplier Jabil plans to boost AirPods enclosure production in India by adding a second facility in Tamil Nadu. The move supports Apple's efforts to diversify its supply chain beyond China amid rising trade tensions and highlights India's growing role in Apple's manufacturing strategy

Following SK Hynix's exit from the CMOS image sensor (CIS) market, Chinese vendors are aggressively scaling shipments, gaining market share, and climbing the value chain by deepening ties with domestic smartphone brands. Armed with robust domestic foundry capacity across 40nm to 28/22nm nodes, these suppliers are now pushing into high-end CIS segments with ample supply and rising demand

The administration of US President Donald Trump has implemented exceptionally high anti-dumping tariffs on solar modules imported from Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, and Cambodia. Most notably, Cambodia faces tariffs as high as 3,521% due to its lack of cooperation during investigations. This action reflects the administration's firm approach to combating "origin-washing," a practice where manufacturers reroute products through third countries to circumvent US trade restrictions. Market experts indicate that tariffs above 60% typically disrupt bilateral trade, and rates exceeding 3,500% effectively result in an almost complete halt of imports from the affected countries

China's decision to tighten export controls on seven rare earth elements has sent global prices soaring more than threefold since early April, raising alarms across critical industries, particularly electric vehicles (EVs) and renewable energy

South Korean prosecutors recently announced the indictment and detention of a former Samsung Electronics researcher suspected of leaking core semiconductor technology secrets, developed with an investment of KRW1.6 trillion (US$1.1 billion), to China's leading DRAM manufacturer, ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT). Samsung may have suffered revenue losses amounting to tens of trillions of Korean won due to this security breach

YoungHyun Jun, Vice Chairman of Samsung Electronics' Device Solutions (DS) division, recently led a senior executive delegation to Silicon Valley, foregoing South Korea's extended May holidays. The week-long trip focused on meetings with major US tech firms—including Apple, Nvidia, and Broadcom—to shore up demand across Samsung's semiconductor portfolio, from DRAM and high-bandwidth memory (HBM) to foundry services. US tariff policy was also a key topic on the agenda

LG Display (LGD) has become the first company worldwide to achieve product validation for a blue phosphorescent OLED panel, advancing a long-elusive milestone in the development of the so-called "dream OLED.

Facing escalating US sanctions and export bans, Huawei is reportedly building three semiconductor fabs in Shenzhen's Guanlan district to localize its supply chain for advanced AI chips. The facilities are expected to anchor Huawei's in-house production of Kirin smartphone processors and Ascend AI accelerators

Apple reported iPhone sales revenue of US$46.8 billion for the first quarter of 2025, representing a 1.9% increase compared to the same period last year, according to its financial results for the second quarter of fiscal 2025 (2Q25, covering January to March), released on May 2. However, growing market concerns indicate a potential continuous slowdown in iPhone sales in China, which could significantly impact Apple's overall operational performance

According to Counterpoint, India's smartphone market experienced a 7% year-over-year shipment decline in the first quarter of 2025, impacted by high inventory levels and fewer product launches. MediaTek led the chipset market with a 45% share, while Apple gained momentum in the premium segment, reflecting stronger demand for high-end devices despite cautious consumer sentiment

Coretronic Intelligent Robotics Corporation (CIRC), a subsidiary of Taiwan's Coretronic Group, is carving a niche in the global drone market, capitalizing on its non-red supply chain status to secure a competitive edge over the Chinese giant DJI. Despite acknowledging technological gaps, CIRC's strategic positioning and robust contract wins signal a promising trajectory, particularly in defense and commercial applications

As US-China tech tensions escalate, Washington's tightened export controls—particularly targeting Nvidia's H20 chips designed for the Chinese market—are deepening compute shortages for cloud services and AI model training. In response, Beijing is ramping up its "Xinchuang" initiative to foster domestic innovation, accelerating the adoption of homegrown GPUs and AI processors

These are the top-read DIGITIMES Asia stories from the week of April 28 – May 4. From China's EUV light source milestone and Intel's turnaround push to Nvidia's evolving China strategy and TSMC's AI chip roadmap, the semiconductor sector saw a week of pivotal shifts