Eyeing India's potential in the notebook market amid a make-in-India push, Taiwan-based MSI launches locally-produced notebooks and plans to expand its retail presence.
With Donald Trump ready to take office in January 2025, notebook brands are asking their upstream supply chain partners to establish plants outside Vietnam, amid growing concerns that exports from the Southeast Asian country may become the next US target for higher tariffs, according to industry sources.
The evolution of smart glasses has been marked by challenges and learning experiences that continue to shape the landscape of this innovative technology. From the initial hype surrounding Google Glass, which dwindled under privacy concerns and a lack of practical uses, to the ongoing developments by Microsoft with HoloLens and Magic Leap, the journey has highlighted crucial lessons in blending technology with consumer needs.
According to industry sources, the PC market should see some replacement demand in 2025, but visibility remains low for IC design houses despite the hype about AI devices.
TSMC's revenue in US$ terms is expected to grow by at least 20% in 2025, with almost all major chip vendors seeking its support for advanced manufacturing processes where the world's number one pure-play foundry sees little challenge from competitors, according to industry sources.
Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger retired on December 1, 2024, leaving CFO David Zinsner and senior executive Michelle Johnston Holthaus to serve as interim co-CEOs. While the board works to identify a permanent successor, Intel faces one of the most significant crises in its history, searching for a qualified leader to navigate both internal instability and mounting external pressures increasingly challenging.
Apple's new vision for the future of computing is a giant, iPad-like foldable device. Also: The company rethinks the mouse, its next AirTag will have a new chip that lets you find items from farther away, and a shift to in-house Wi-Fi chips will kick off next year.
The Indian government has extended its monitoring framework for importing notebooks, tablets, and personal computing devices by one year through December 2025.
Apple will begin producing its AirPods wireless earphones in India for the first time early next year, marking a milestone in the iPhone maker's steady push to diversify beyond China.
Multiple media sources have reported that MediaTek's 5G modem chips may soon replace Intel's products in upcoming Apple Watch models. If true, it will mark MediaTek's first entry into Apple's supply chain.
Coretronic reported a self-estimated consolidated revenue of approximately NT$3.219 billion for November 2024, representing an 8% increase compared to the consolidated revenue of NT$2.993 billion (approx. US$92 million) in October. However, this figure reflects a 3% year-over-year decline.
Pegatron reported a November revenue of NT$105.758 billion (US$3.35 billion), reflecting a 10.58% decline from the previous month and a 9.44% decrease compared to the same period last year. Cumulative revenue from January to November 2024 reached NT$1.02 trillion, down 12.84% compared to the same period last year. Despite the slump, communication products are expected to drive the fourth quarter of 2024 to become the year's revenue peak.
Apple plans to bring satellite connections to its smartwatch in 2025 and is ramping up work on a blood-pressure feature, seeking to entice hikers and health-conscious consumers into upgrading their devices.
Acer reported consolidated revenue of NT$22.749 billion (US$6.7 million) for November, marking a 20.9% increase from October and 13.1% growth compared to the same period last year. For the first eleven months of the year, revenue reached NT$240.155 billion (US$70.5 million), representing a 10.4% increase year over year.
Acer Group founder Stan Shih, who revolutionized Taiwan's tech industry at age 79, announced plans for a second retirement during a commemorative concert marking two decades since stepping down from the PC maker.
LG Electronics India filed an IPO in India, aiming to capitalize on the country's growing appliances and electronics market. However, concerns arise regarding potential conflicts of interest with other LG entities and the lack of exclusivity agreements.
Foxconn reported a November revenue of NT$672.585 billion (approx. US$20.76 billion), surpassing the total earnings of the previous year in the first 11 months of 2024. Despite a dip in Smart Consumer Electronics and Cloud & Networking Products, there was growth in Computing Products and Components & Others, driven by strong demand for AI products and new Apple releases. The company expects further improvement in the second half of the year, especially in the fourth quarter.
Workstations are the latest hardware category to see an AI-related boom. As noted by James Huang, chairman of rugged industrial PC (IPC) specialist Getac Technology, the company has seen strong sales of its X600 Server, a fully rugged command server, due to enterprise demand for AI functions. In addition, Quanta executive VP Alan Tsai has recently noted untapped potential in workstations.
AI PC sales have so far failed to live up to the initial hype, but Acer chairman and CEO Jason Chen predicts that the devices will reach the pricing sweet spot next year to trigger replacement demand.
During a recent investor conference in New York, Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon emphasized that since 2021, the company has been actively expanding beyond mobile phones. The company's aggressive execution over the past few years has yielded significant results, a strategy that will continue moving forward.
As India entered its annual festive season, PC shipments experienced slight growth despite a weak consumer market. Acer achieved double-digit growth, driven by strong demand from the education sector and other industries.
A series of meetings between Chinese officials and US tech executives signals potential warming ties, with senior representatives from Nvidia and Apple holding discussions in Beijing this month.
Following President-Elect Donald Trump's election victory, PC brands are intensifying their strategic shifts. Hewlett-Packard (HP), the world's second-largest PC maker, has reportedly moved to restructure its senior procurement and R&D operations. Industry sources suggest the company is preparing another round of R&D layoffs as it redirects focus toward North America.
In the third quarter of 2024, global notebook shipments (excluding detachable models) exceeded expectations, showing a 5.8% growth compared to the previous quarter, but the volumes are expected to slip in the fourth quarter, according to DIGITIMES Research's latest report covering the notebook industry in the second half of 2024.
