In a strategic move to diversify its display supply chain, Apple has selected Tianma Microelectronics to provide 7-inch LCD panels for its upcoming screen-equipped HomePod, scheduled for release in 2025. The Chinese manufacturer secured the contract with an aggressive pricing of US$10 per unit, which industry observers note is exceptionally competitive even among Chinese suppliers.

Despite continued weak demand for South Korean displays and components in 2024, an unexpected recovery has emerged near year-end. Analysts interpret this trend as a response to the impending inauguration of Donald Trump, prompting Chinese finished equipment manufacturers to actively build component inventories to mitigate potential escalation in the US-China trade war.

The explosive growth in AI adoption has created opportunities beyond traditional computing sectors, with networking suppliers emerging as major beneficiaries. While Broadcom, a leader in wireless networking chips and prominent ASIC provider, gains attention for its AI ASIC growth, Taiwan-based networking switch makers like Accton and Senao Networks are discovering new growth avenues through AI servers.

Foldable smartphone shipment momentum continues to be strong for certain major mobile phone brands despite their low popularity in the end market. However, as development shifts toward lighter and thinner designs, brand manufacturers are investing in material upgrades, which has raised the technical threshold for the supply chain.

MediaTek has announced its revenue performance for November, reporting a monthly revenue of NT$45.242 billion (approx. US$1.391 billion), which represents an 11.49% decrease from the previous month but a 5.04% year-over-year increase.

LG Display (LGD) and Samsung Display (SDC) dominate high-end OLED technology, but their reliance on Apple orders faces pressure from cheaper Chinese OLED panels supplied to local IT firms.

The US House of Representatives is preparing to vote on the fiscal year 2025 national defense budget, which includes a US$3 billion provision aimed at helping US telecoms completely remove Chinese-supplied equipment. The measure specifically targets Huawei and SMIC equipment to prevent potential network communication attacks from Chinese hackers.

It is highly likely that the iPhone SE 4, set to be launched in early 2025, will come with Apple's in-house developed 5G modem. Still, sources from the upstream supply chain believe it will take some time before the chip's performance can catch up with the competition of leading suppliers.

Recent reports claim that OpenAI is in discussions with Samsung Electronics (Samsung) regarding a collaboration to integrate ChatGPT into their devices, which could mirror Apple's approach. The actual partnership dynamics, along with Samsung's existing relationship with Google, are drawing significant attention.

Wi-Fi 7 shipments have accelerated significantly in the second half of 2024, and industry experts expect Wi-Fi 7 penetration rates to grow in 2025, with upgrades to consumer devices, routers, and even basic infrastructure picking up pace even amid sluggishness in the general economy.

Recent market speculation suggests that AMD has developed an AI processor (APU/NPU) suitable for mobile devices. With its exclusive GPU technology, it is expected to compete in the handset chip business. Despite that, industry insiders have expressed skepticism over this information.

While Xiaomi prepares to launch its first self-developed smartphone system on chip (SoC) in 2025, major chipmakers Qualcomm and MediaTek maintain their composure, expressing confidence in their market positions despite the Chinese manufacturer's entry into the semiconductor space.

Xiaomi is preparing a self-designed mobile processor for its upcoming smartphones in an effort to reduce its reliance on foreign suppliers Qualcomm and MediaTek.

Apple's iPhone SE 4 is set to be released in March 2025, marking a significant milestone with the introduction of the company's first in-house 5G modem chip, reducing its reliance on Qualcomm.

Taiwan-based lens maker Genius Electronic Optical (GSEO) is guardedly optimistic about 2025 sales, expecting wider penetration for its periscope lenses in smartphones and other applications, and better order momentum from Chinese smartphone brand customers, according to the company.

Benefiting from the continuous increase in market penetration of LED backlit keyboard modules, electronic components manufacturer Chicony Electronics reported continued revenue growth in the third quarter of 2024. Although the product mix slightly impacted the gross margin, which declined marginally compared to the previous quarter, it remained above 20%.

Apple plans to launch the iPhone 17 series in 2025, featuring low-temperature polycrystalline oxide (LTPO) OLED panels across all models. LTPO is a low-power panel technology currently supplied to Apple by Samsung Display (SDC) and LG Display (LGD).

Samsung Electronics (Samsung) has released its financial report for the third quarter of 2024, revealing a 14.5% year-over-year decline in operating profit for its Mobile Experience (MX) division. While revenue from new products such as smartphones, tablets, and wearables contributed to growth, rising costs and inflation have dampened demand recovery, leading to decreased profitability.

The era of advanced process inflation has arrived, with the price of 3nm processes continuing to rise. Key system-on-chip (SoC) components such as Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite and MediaTek's Dimensity are seeing significant price increases, leaving downstream smartphone manufacturers in distress, lamenting that the inflation from "advanced processes" is causing smartphone prices to rise instead of fall, making business increasingly difficult.

Arm has stated that it is adequately prepared for the court hearing scheduled for December, as the dispute between Qualcomm and Arm continues to develop. In response, Qualcomm maintains that Arm's assertion to terminate the contract is wholly unfounded. Both companies have adopted a firm stance and have not demonstrated any indications of reconciliation.

Qualcomm's newly unveiled mobile application processor (AP), the Snapdragon 8 Elite, demonstrates significant performance improvements over its predecessor and reportedly surpasses the A18 Pro chipset in Apple's iPhone 16 Pro. This advancement is expected to strengthen Samsung Electronics' Galaxy series smartphones in the premium market while further challenging Samsung's AP business.

After meeting with China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), Apple CEO Tim Cook continued his visit to China led by COO Jeff Williams. They visited key local suppliers including Lens Technology, Luxshare, and Bozhon, showcasing Apple's ongoing commitment to the Chinese supply chain.

At the 2024 vivo Developer Conference, Vivo unveiled a new AI strategy, introducing a new 3 billion parameter terminal large model called 3B. This model enables features like call summaries, document outlines, intent understanding, and local knowledge graphs to operate effectively on terminals.

Various companies are attempting more innovations in chip design for 2024. An observer in the integrated circuit (IC) design industry noted that while Apple and the Android camp have different structural configurations, there is one commonality: significant expansions in memory configuration, particularly with upgrades to CPU cache in the Android camp.

Apple's sales growth in China has slowed in 2024, falling behind previous years' trends. Huawei, having re-entered the flagship market with its Mate 60 series in 2023, is now reportedly delaying its next product launch until November 2024, weakening its initial momentum.