Among personal AI devices beyond smartphones, smart glasses remain the fastest-growing category, according to Ziad Asghar, senior vice president and general manager of XR, wearables, and personal AI at Qualcomm. Speaking during a media Q&A at Snapdragon Summit 2026, Asghar noted that while smart glasses are drawing intense market focus and a steady stream of new product launches, AI pins and pendants are emerging right behind them to cater to users who prefer not to wear eyewear.
Acer marked its 50th anniversary on September 28, 2026, with the premiere of Smile for Half a Century, a commemorative musical that traces the company's journey from a small startup to a global technology brand while looking ahead to its next chapter.
Starting in the second half of 2025, as AI agent programs such as OpenClaw, Hermes, Claude, and DeepSeek Harness were launched one after another, a wave of "keeping lobsters" began to emerge around on-device AI models paired with AI agents.
China's Hygon Information Technology is extending its processor ambitions beyond servers and data centers with the launch of its first embedded industrial CPU family, targeting robotics, machine vision, smart manufacturing, and other edge AI workloads.
Taiwan-based light guide plate maker Global Lighting Technologies (GLT) is deepening its pivot into life sciences through its investment in Smobio Technology, for which GLT has begun manufacturing precast protein electrophoresis gels under contract. Small-scale production began in August 2026, following the commencement of the partnership between the two companies in 2025. Monthly demand for precast gels currently sits at roughly 20,000–30,000 sheets, and is expected to grow to 200,000–300,000 sheets in the first half of 2027, according to GLT president Johnny Tsai.
Meta Connect 2026 is set to begin on September 23, with the next generation of AI smart glasses expected to be a key focus. Among the products drawing particular industry attention is a device internally code-named "Luna," which is reportedly being designed without a camera.
Demand from high-tech companies for new research and manufacturing sites remains strong, prompting Taiwan to advance plans to expand Longtan Science Park by 104 hectares as the government seeks to accommodate continued growth in AI and semiconductor industries.
Industry sources say Valve is expected to launch a new Steam Deck in 2027, setting up a tougher contest for Taiwanese original design manufacturer (ODM) Quanta as China's Huaqin moves to win the manufacturing order. The winner has not yet been confirmed.
EZconn said global fiber and optical cable supplies remain tight as AI data center demand overtakes demand from traditional telecom applications, pushing up raw material prices and boosting costs for optical passive components. The company expects the shortage to ease gradually from the second half of 2026 into 2027 as upstream suppliers add capacity, while it negotiates for larger allocations and longer-term supply contracts.
High-speed transmission demand continues to rise on the back of AI server and data center buildouts, while cloud service providers (CSPs) accelerate adoption of in-house application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) platforms. As a result, demand for high-speed connectors and high-speed transmission cables inside servers is also increasing.
