Below are the top DIGITIMES Asia stories from August 11 to 17, 2025. Leading the headlines: Apple is preparing to launch a US$599 MacBook, with mass production of key components expected by the end of 2025. China's leading DRAM manufacturer has begun domestic production of HBM3 chips, with samples already sent to Huawei for final validation. Meanwhile, a reported leak of TSMC's 2nm technology involving employees from TSMC and Tokyo Electron (TEL) sparked espionage concerns but appears less severe after further investigation

A proposed bonus exceeding KRW100 million (US$72,000) per employee threatens to spark SK Hynix's first full-scale strike, with stalled high-bandwidth memory (HBM) supply talks heightening industry concerns over a protracted labor standoff

Samsung Electronics' global DRAM market share slipped to 32.7% in the first half of 2025, down 8.8% from 41.5% a year earlier, according to its August 14 semiannual earnings report, raising concerns over its grip on industry leadership

Global pioneer in ultra-low-power AI semiconductors, DeepX, has recently become one of Samsung Electronics' foundry clients utilizing its 2nm semiconductor manufacturing process. DeepX plans to apply Samsung's 2nm technology to develop its next-generation generative AI (GenAI) chip, the "DX-M2.

China is entering the second half of 2025 by reviewing its "14th Five-Year Plan" technology milestones and mapping priorities for the upcoming "15th Five-Year Plan." Liu Liehong, administrator and director of the National Data Administration (NDA), said on August 14 that by June 2025, China's total computing power ranked second worldwide and the country held 60% of global AI patents, underscoring its rising weight in AI R&D

The number of chipmaking projects in India that qualify for the country’s incentive policy has increased to ten, following the approval of four new initiatives. Concurrently, India and China appear to be reducing tensions against the backdrop of a recently imposed 50% tariff by the United States on Indian goods

Indonesia is increasing lithium imports from Australia to boost its electric vehicle (EV) battery supply and advance its EV development goals. The government is also encouraging industry players to explore nickel-based battery technologies, leveraging its abundant domestic nickel reserves

Kdan Mobile Software (KDAN) has formed a strategic partnership with Japanese AI search engine startup Felo, with integrated technologies expected to debut in the fourth quarter of 2025. The companies will also collaborate on a joint sales plan targeting the AI agent market

Chinese semiconductor equipment makers are increasingly taking the offensive in protecting their technology and intellectual property. Beijing E-Town Semiconductor Technology has sued US chipmaking equipment leader Applied Materials in the Beijing Intellectual Property Court, alleging the illegal acquisition and use of its core trade secrets, and is seeking CNY99.99 million (US$13.9 million) in damages

The quantum research team at the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) has set a new world record. Academic administrator Jianwei Pan and Professor Chao-Yang Lu from USTC collaborated with the Shanghai Research Center for Quantum Sciences and researcher Han-Sen Zhong's team from Shanghai AI Laboratory. Using artificial intelligence (AI) technology, they successfully constructed defect-free two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) atomic arrays consisting of 2024 atoms within 60 milliseconds, breaking the global record for neutral atom quantum systems

ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT) has restarted major facility investments to ramp up DRAM output and fast-track high-bandwidth memory (HBM) development, highlighting Beijing's drive to secure advanced AI memory under ongoing US export curbs

The US government is expected to announce its tariff policy this week on semiconductor-related products—including smartphones, laptops, and surveillance devices—sending ripples of uncertainty through the global tech industry. A proposed 25% tariff on smartphones is now formally under consideration, placing the strategies of Samsung Electronics and Apple under intense scrutiny

Over the past two weeks, Tesla CEO Elon Musk has promoted his company's new partnership with Samsung Foundry for manufacturing its AI chips. At one point, South Korean media speculated that Samsung might even take over exclusive foundry orders for Tesla's Dojo chips originally handled by TSMC, only to discover later that Musk had decided to shut down the supercomputer project

Chinese authorities have recently voiced concerns about the reauthorization of shipments for Nvidia Corporation's H20 AI chips, highlighting fears that these chips could be remotely disabled by the US. This capability, they argue, could be exploited to hinder China's AI development. In response, reports indicate that Beijing is encouraging domestic cloud providers to shift away from Nvidia's chips in favor of locally produced alternatives