DIGITIMES Semiconductors: IC design, distribution news

Home Tech Semiconductors IC design, distribution

Monday 28 July 2025

Google's OpenAI partnership heats up global ASIC competition

Google has confirmed its partnership with OpenAI at its second-quarter earnings call. OpenAI's ChatGPT and API services will adopt Google's cloud platform, with Google data centers in the US, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, the UK, and other locations supporting OpenAI's services.

Monday 28 July 2025

Update: Samsung scores Tesla chip contract as Elon Musk confirms $16.5B AI6 deal

Samsung Electronics has secured a $16.5 billion contract to produce Tesla’s next-generation AI6 chips, marking a major boost for its foundry business. The chips will be manufactured at Samsung’s upcoming fab in Taylor, Texas, now slated for completion in 2026.

Monday 28 July 2025

Intel to spin off Network and Edge Group as part of strategic refocus

Intel has announced plans to spin off its Network and Edge Group (NEX) as an independent company, continuing a wave of restructuring aimed at sharpening the company's focus on core competencies related to x86 processors and artificial intelligence (AI), according to multiple outlets, including Reuters and TechCrunch.

Monday 28 July 2025

Weekly News Roundup: MediaTek wins Meta's ASIC orders, Asus revives Xbox hardware, and YMTC plans China-made NAND Line

Below are the top DIGITIMES Asia stories from July 21 to 27, 2025. The top three topics include MediaTek winning Meta's order for 2nm ASIC; Asus, Microsoft revive Xbox hardware with ROG handheld launch; and YMTC plans to pilot a fully China-made NAND line in 2025.

Friday 25 July 2025

Nvidia's flagship chips pour into China via gray channels: US$1B smuggled in 3 months

Despite stricter AI chip export controls under the Trump administration, over US$1 billion worth of Nvidia's high-end GPUs have reportedly entered China through black-market channels in just three months, raising doubts about the efficacy of US trade restrictions.

Friday 25 July 2025

Taiwan's NSTC unveils results of 33 chip development projects based on mature processes

The National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) has outlined four main strategies for the development of semiconductor technology in Taiwan: sustaining current advantages, global expansion, innovation in applications, and adaptation for sustainability. The aim is to secure Taiwan's position as a key player in the global semiconductor industry, while also advancing the application of semiconductor technology in various industries, including biomedical and agricultural applications.

Friday 25 July 2025

Trump's Nvidia breakup idea fizzles as Intel cries for intervention

At the "Winning the AI Race" summit in Washington, President Donald Trump revealed he once considered breaking up Nvidia to spur competition in the US artificial intelligence (AI) chip sector. Trump later acknowledged that he abandoned the idea after realizing Nvidia's technological dominance and the complexity of the chipmaking landscape. Industry insiders, however, argue the real candidate for government intervention isn't Nvidia — it's Intel.

Friday 25 July 2025

Qualcomm's 2nm wildcard: is Samsung back in play or just leverage?

Qualcomm is reportedly weighing a return to Samsung Foundry for its 2nm flagship smartphone SoCs in 2026, raising questions about a potential pivot from TSMC. Yet conflicting reports claim Samsung has already been removed from Qualcomm's approved foundry list, adding to the uncertainty.

Friday 25 July 2025

The end of blank checks: Intel kills European fabs, doubles down on Vietnam and Malaysia

Intel's era of building first and finding customers later is over.

Friday 25 July 2025

Lip-Bu Tan’s Intel pivots harder toward austerity in latest earnings report

Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan has launched a sweeping campaign of fiscal restraint, marking a sharp break from the ambitious expansionism of his predecessor.

Friday 25 July 2025

Rebellions partners with CoAsia SEMI to deliver AI chiplets to data centers worldwide

South Korean AI semiconductor startup Rebellions has inked a strategic partnership with system-on-chip (SoC) design house CoAsia SEMI to co-develop and commercialize AI chiplets and software solutions targeting global data center applications.

Friday 25 July 2025

China targets 22/28nm as wafer sourcing landscape shifts

China's continued investment in mature semiconductor foundry capacity has become a focal point in the industry. Many worry that China's mature process output could flood global markets, significantly impacting the chip ecosystem.

Thursday 24 July 2025

China-Taiwan trade heating up amid US tariffs saga

Business exchanges between Chinese and Taiwanese makers have shown significant increases amid concerns over US tariffs, trade restrictions, and global supply chain restructuring, with China and Hong Kong together remaining the biggest market for Taiwan's exports.

Thursday 24 July 2025

Trump weighed Nvidia breakup but was told it'd be 'hard'

President Donald Trump said he considered attempting to break up Nvidia to increase competition in artificial intelligence (AI) chips before finding out "it's not easy in that business."

Thursday 24 July 2025

'Awkward' fit: Nvidia's H20 snubbed in China as Qihoo 360 turns to Huawei AI chips

Nvidia's H20 chip has re-entered the Chinese market but is facing an underwhelming reception, as influential tech leaders increasingly favor local semiconductor alternatives. Zhou Hongyi, co-founder and chairman of 360 Security Technology Inc. (Qihoo 360), said the H20 chip has lost its price-performance advantage in China. He noted that 360 has switched exclusively to domestic chips — specifically Huawei's — reflecting a wider industry shift.

Wednesday 23 July 2025

TI flags 2Q25 demand boost from pull-ins, expects more typical demand as tariff impact fades

Texas Instruments (TI) signaled a more moderate third-quarter outlook, with CEO Haviv Ilan citing easing tariff-related demand and ongoing geopolitical uncertainty. While earlier inventory-driven orders spurred growth, the company now expects more typical seasonal patterns. TI emphasized its long-term US manufacturing investments as a strategic hedge amid shifting global supply chains.

Wednesday 23 July 2025

MediaTek reportedly wins Meta's new 2nm ASIC order, aiming for 1H27 mass production

MediaTek and Broadcom continue to compete for Meta's new application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) projects, with industry insiders stressing that both companies are performing at a comparable level. However, recent reports suggest that MediaTek is poised to secure a major order for one of Meta's upcoming 2nm process ASICs, codenamed "Arke," which focuses on post-training and inference functions, potentially moving toward mass production in the first half of 2027.

Wednesday 23 July 2025

Strong China growth propels TI's industrial business

During its second-quarter 2025 earnings call, Texas Instruments (TI) underscored the pivotal role China played in driving the company's industrial segment growth.

Wednesday 23 July 2025

TI notes slower growth in automotive market, reaffirms 2025 capex plan

Texas Instruments' management struck a cautious tone during its second-quarter 2025 earnings call, highlighting signs of cyclical recovery across most end markets while acknowledging growing volatility and uncertainty in the latter half of the quarter.

Wednesday 23 July 2025

TI posts solid 2Q25 results, cautious outlook tempers optimism

On July 22, Texas Instruments (TI) reported a strong set of second-quarter results, buoyed by a rebound in analog chip demand and signs of stabilization in its industrial business. However, a cautious outlook for the third quarter has tempered investor enthusiasm for a sharper recovery in the second half of the year.

Wednesday 23 July 2025

Samsung bets on GAA and HBM4 to retake AI crown

The second half of 2025 is shaping up to be a pivotal period in the global semiconductor industry, as the race for technological supremacy intensifies. At the forefront are Samsung Electronics and TSMC, which are set to clash over next-generation 2nm process technologies. Equally critical is the unfolding battle over sixth-generation high bandwidth memory (HBM4), a segment poised to redefine performance benchmarks in AI computing.

Wednesday 23 July 2025

3nm’s swan song: Android chipmakers race to outsmart Apple with AI

As the smartphone industry enters the second half of 2025, attention is turning toward the final chapter of 3nm system-on-chip (SoC) flagships. Apple, MediaTek, and Qualcomm are all expected to transition to the 2nm process node by 2026, making this year's releases the swan song for 3nm chips.

Tuesday 22 July 2025

Hygon's 4GHz C86 chip marks China's shift from policy-driven to performance-led PCs

China's IT localization strategy has entered a new phase with the launch of Hygon Information Technology's C86 processor, a 4.0GHz x86-compatible chip now powering a broad lineup of domestic desktops and mobile workstations. The rollout marks a shift in China's PC market — from policy-driven deployment to performance-focused competition.

Tuesday 22 July 2025

NXP signals soft outlook; TI may strike similar tone as auto, industrial chip markets struggle

NXP Semiconductors posted a second-quarter revenue decline and cautious guidance for the third quarter, reinforcing concerns over lingering weakness in the automotive and industrial control sectors, just as Texas Instruments (TI) prepares to report its own earnings later this week.

Tuesday 22 July 2025

NXP posts soft 2Q25, guidance fails to impress as growth headwinds persist

NXP Semiconductors reported a steeper-than-expected year-on-year revenue decline in the second quarter and issued a lukewarm third-quarter forecast, underscoring ongoing weakness across key business segments despite management's optimism about cyclical recovery.

More IC design, distribution coverage

BIZ FOCUS

Jul 9, 10:42

TRI unveils new multi-camera AOI, TR7500 SIII Ultra

MOST-READ
7 DAYS NEWS

Full list

MULTIMEDIA

Nvidia's H20, TSMC, and Pegatron Chair

INDUSTRY GUIDEBOOKS

The rise of top 10 IC design houses in China

RESEARCH INSIGHTS

Intel signals overhaul of IDM 2.0 and foundry strategy with Lip-Bu Tan's appointment, says DIGITIMES