Prices of smartphone and tablet solutions to drop 10-20% in 2H13

Jun 18, 21:55

Prices of chipset solutions for smartphones and tablets are expected to decline 10-20% sequentially in the second half of 2013 due to competition between MediaTek and Qualcomm, according to industry sources.

First-tier players may release smartphones that adopt heat pipes by the end of the year

Jun 17, 21:58

Smartphone players such as Apple, Samsung Electronics and High Tech Computer (HTC) have started showing interest in adopting ultra-thin heat pipes for their smartphones and are expected to release heat pipe-adopted models in the fourth quarter, at the earliest, according to sources from cooling module...

Order visibility from BlackBerry extends to 2-3 quarters, say suppliers

Jun 17, 11:42

Order visibility from BlackBerry has been extended to 2-3 quarters compared to a mere one quarter previously as the Canada-based smartphone vendor plans to release 3-4 new models in the second half of 2013, according to sources in BlackBerry's supply chain in Taiwan.

Digitimes Research: Google tying up with branded vendors to strengthen its online retail channel

Jun 11, 15:46

The launch of HTC's New HTC One Google Edition and Samsung Electronics' Galaxy S4 Google Edition by Google on June 26 through Google Play highlights Google's attempt to further strengthen its online retail channel by tying up with branded vendors, according to Digitimes Research.

Digitimes Research: AMOLED handset panel shipments to reach 363 million units in 2015

Jun 11, 10:24

Currently, smaphone is the most important application for AMOLED panels and has been fueling shipment growth. Digitimes predicts AMOLED handset panel shipments to grow to 363 million units in 2015, up 332% from the number in 2011. In 2015, AMOLED handset panel shipments will account for 88.7% of total...

China market: Smartphone component supplies to remain tight in 2H13

Jun 10, 15:44

The current tight supply of some key components in the smartphone supply chains in China is likely to become worse in the second half of 2013 when demand for components tends to climb amid peak-season effects, according to industry sources.

Testing service company Sporton posts record high revenues in May

Jun 6, 14:02

Sporton International, an inductor maker and testing services provider, saw its May 2013 revenues hit a record high for the second straight month.

FPCB maker Ichia 2Q13 sales to rise 40%

Jun 5, 15:58

Flexible PCB and chassis maker Ichia Technologies has reported consolidated revenues of NT$872 million (US$29.17 million) for May, up 1.9% on month and 28.3% on year. For the first five months of 2013, revenues amounted to NT$3.54 billion, edging up 0.9% from a year earlier.

HTC to release array of new models in 2H13

Jun 3, 22:40

HTC plans to launch a number of new smartphones starting June, including the dual-SIM Desire 600, the HTC Butterfly S and the HTC One mini (codenamed M4), as well as the Desire 200 for the entry-level segment, according to industry sources.

Digitimes Research: Spreadtrum may see TD-SCDMA market share fall below 40% in 2013

Jun 3, 20:17

China-based handset solution vendor Spreadtrum Communications obtained close to a 50% share in the TD-SCDMA market in 2012.

Digitimes Research: Samsung may experience in-house chipset supply shortage in 2013

Jun 3, 19:11

South Korea-based Samsung Electronics is not just an industry leader in the global smartphone market, it is also aggressive in promoting in-house processors to other brands. In addition to the development of end market products, Samsung has control over the technology of in-house processors to ensure...

MediaTek launches new quad-core solution for tablets

Jun 3, 16:53

MediaTek has officially launched its new quad-core application processor, the MT8125, for the fast growing global tablet market, claiming the new chips are now being adopted by its global clients including Lenovo.

Handset panels sized 4.5- to 5-inch in short supply until August 2013

Jun 3, 12:53

Handset panels sized 4.5- to 5-inch will be in short supply until August 2013 due to handset vendors preparing to release new models in the third quarter of the year, according to industry sources.

Digitimes Research: Global 2Q13 handset touch panel shipments to show 5% sequential growth

May 31, 10:55

The second quarter is the beginning of the traditional boom season for the touch panel market and demand from handset makers has been reviving. Digitimes Research predicts that global handset touch panel shipments will reach 284 million units in the second quarter, representing an on-quarter growth...

MediaTek to increase number of component suppliers for its reference designs

May 29, 21:53

MediaTek plans to increase the number of its suppliers of parts and components for its smartphone solution reference designs in order to smooth out its production, according to industry sources.

LG may not cooperate with Google on Nexus 5

May 29, 21:08

South Korea-based brand LG has no plans regarding the development of Google's next Nexus smartphone, according to company executives.

MediaTek May revenues to drop to below NT$10 billion

May 29, 12:06

MediaTek is expected to see its revenues drop to below NT$10 billion (US$334.97 million) in May compared to a three-year high of NT$12.57 billion recorded in April, as most IC clients in China suspended operations during the first week of May, according to industry sources.

Apple reportedly to release 2 new iPhones in 3Q13

May 28, 22:14

Apple reportedly plans to launch two models of its iPhone family in the third quarter of 2013 and has asked makers in the supply chain to prepare production capacity for 20 million units a month, according to industry sources in Taiwan.

HTC considering Liquidmetal for new smartphones

May 27, 21:49

High Tech Computer (HTC) is reportedly considering adopting Liquidmetal for its new smartphones in the second half of the year and is set to cooperate with Taiwan-based chassis maker Jabon International for related supply. However, both HTC and Jabon have declined to comment about the rumors.

Sony Mobile to extend cooperation with ODM firms, says marketing executive

May 23, 21:39

Dennis van Schie, global head of marketing for Sony Mobile, has commented that the firm will extend cooperation and view ODM firms as strategic partners in product development to increase flexibility in R&D and capacity.

HannStar to reach 95% utilization in 2Q13

May 22, 20:39

HannStar Display's production utilization rate is expected to reach 95% in the second quarter of 2013, according to industry sources.

China market: Several smartphone components in short supply

May 17, 14:11

A shortage in the supply of some key components, including high-end camera modules, touchscreen panels and multi-chip package (MCP) memory chips, is worsening in the smartphone industry supply chain in China, according to industry sources.

AUO supply of iPad mini panels in 2Q13 expected to slip sequentially

May 17, 11:36

AU Optronics' (AUO) shipments of panels for the iPad mini are expected to decrease from four million units in the first quarter of 2013 to 2.5-2.8 million units in the second, according to Taiwan-based supply chain sources.

Demand for small-size panel driver ICs stays strong

May 16, 21:46

Demand for small-size LCD driver ICs has remained strong thanks to brisk smartphone sales in China, which is set to drive revenue growth for related suppliers including design houses, foundries and backend firms in the second quarter of 2013.

BlackBerry to offer BBM on Android and iOS platforms

May 15, 22:16

BlackBerry plans to offer its messenger app, BBM, to competing platforms such as Google's Android and Apple's iOS.

MediaTek asking clients to confirm IC demand for next 3-6 months, say sources

May 14, 15:49

MediaTek reportedly has urged its clients for smartphone and tablet chipset solutions to offer confirmed prospects of their demand of ICs for the next 3-6 months due to strong market demand and tight production schedule, according to industry sources.

Spreadtrum 1Q13 revenues beat guidance

Newswatch - May 9, 18:39

China-based handset solution vendor Spreadtrum Communications has announced revenues of US$189 million for the first quarter of 2013, down 6.9% sequentially but up 17.3% on year. The sales figures were higher than the company's guidance of US$180-186 million set for the quarter, the company noted.

MediaTek April sales hit 39-month high

May 8, 14:09

Consolidated revenues at MediaTek, whose wireless chips are mainly targeted at white-box handsets including smartphones, climbed to a 39-month high of NT$12.57 billion (US$426.5 million) in April 2013.

IC demand in China will remain robust after May 1 holidays, say sources

May 6, 15:11

Demand for IC parts from the smartphone and tablet sectors in China will remain strong even after the May 1 holiday season as market players are adjusting upward their forecasts of sales of smartphones and tablets in China and other emerging markets for 2013, according to industry sources.

MediaTek snaps up influx of orders for its new dual-core MT6572 chipset

May 6, 12:20

MediaTek reportedly has landed orders for over one million units of its recently release new dual-core smartphone platform, the MT6572, according to industry sources.

MediaTek 1Q13 pre-tax profits close to NT$4 billion

May 2, 15:52

MediaTek has reported a pre-tax profit of NT$3.92 billion (US$132.36 million) or NT$2.90 per share before taxes for the first quarter of 2013.

Disruption in Korean production could have catastrophic impact on global electronics business, says IHS

May 2, 12:16

What would happen if half of all global production for DRAM, two-thirds of NAND flash manufacturing and 70% of the world's tablet display supply suddenly disappeared from the market? The answer would be chaos, with the worldwide electronics supply chain grinding to a halt and stopping major market...

Samsung making 20nm 4Gb LPDDR3 DRAM for mobile devices

Apr 30, 15:48

Samsung Electronics has announced that it is now producing 4-gigabit (4Gb) low-power DDR3 (LPDDR3) mobile DRAM chips using 20nm-class process technology.

eMemory NVM IP adopted by smartphone vendors

Apr 30, 11:33

Taiwan-based IP provider eMemory Technology has entered the supply chains for Samsung Electronics' Galaxy S4 and the next-generation iPhone series with its OTP (one time programmable) non-volatile memory IP, according to industry sources.

Digitimes Research: MediaTek increasing chipset portfolios for tablets

Apr 26, 14:52

Riding high on a fivefold increase in shipments of application processors in 2012 triggered by a robust growth of the mobile device market in China, MediaTek has been strengthening its deployment in 28nm process and has also increased the portfolios of its chipset solutions for tablets since the beginning...

HTC wins patent lawsuit over Nokia in Germany; production not affected by Netherlands injunction ruling

Apr 25, 21:29

The District Court of Mannheim, Germany, has dismissed a complaint filed by Nokia accusing HTC of infringing patent EP 1581016, covering a communications network terminal for accessing the Internet, according to HTC.

FPCB maker Ichia sees demand growing in April-May

Apr 24, 21:55

Flexible PCB and chassis maker Ichia Technologies expects demand for its FPCB products, particularly from the touch panel sector, in the April-May period of 2013 to post significant growth as compared to a year earlier, according to company president YH Sun.

New HTC One shipments likely to be affected by microphone supplies, say sources

Apr 23, 14:55

Shipments of HTC's new flagship model, the new HTC One, might be jeopardized again after the District Court of Amsterdam issued recently a preliminary injunction, prohibiting STMicroelectronics from continuing shipping its dual membrane microphones to HTC, which are needed for the production of the...

MediaTek likely to raise shipment target for 2013

Apr 22, 22:14

MediaTek is expected to revise upward its handset-IC shipment target for 2013, according to industry sources, which judge from China's booming smartphone market.

Catcher reportedly to exclusively supply metal-alloy chassis for use in HTC M4

Apr 19, 16:08

Catcher Technology will reportedly become an exclusive supplier of metal-alloy chassis for use in HTC's M4 smartphone, a revision of its New HTC One, with shipments of M4 to begin in June and an estimated 700,000 units to be shipped in the second quarter, according to sources from the upstream supply...

China market: Shipments of inexpensive tablets likely to reach 100 million units in 2013, say China makers

Apr 18, 22:08

As demand for inexpensive entry-level tablets in the China market is growing fast and retail prices have dropped to below US$100 currently, 100 million tablets are likely to be shipped in the market in 2013, according to China-based supply chain makers.

Smartphone panel order visibility through until 3Q13, say sources

Apr 18, 12:05

Order visibility for smartphone panels is already through until the third quarter of 2013, according to industry sources. With smartphone vendors launching devices with bigger screens, panel supply will be tighter in 2013 than in 2012.

TCL to develop smartphone chips, says chairman

Apr 11, 21:38

China-based TV brand TCL plans to invest in the development of smartphone and connected TV chips, according to Dongsheng Li, company chairman and CEO.

China market: Handset panel makers see order surge

Apr 11, 12:13

As the smartphone market in China continues to grow, the handset supply chain has been preparing for a demand surge during the upcoming Labor Day holidays. Panel makers have revealed that there has been a shortage of handset applications, with prices for segments likely to increase. Although China-...

Taiwan handset component makers increasingly relying on other product lines

Apr 10, 15:17

Facing declining orders from Nokia and BlackBerry, Taiwan-based handset keypad makers Silitech Technology and Ichia Technologies have shifted their production focus from keypads to metal-alloy chassis and flexible PCBs, respectively, according to industry sources.

MediaTek hits high-end of 1Q13 guidance

Apr 9, 10:49

Consolidated revenues at MediaTek for the first quarter of 2013 hit the high-end of the fabless IC firm's previously-issued guidance range of NT$21.9-24 billion (US$730-800 million).