CONNECT WITH US
Jun 15, 07:12
Commentary: EU eco-design rules set new bar for smartphone durability and repairability
The EU's new eco-design, energy labeling, and battery rules for smartphones and tablets may do more than improve environmental performance. They could change how device makers compete, design products, and manage product lifecycles.
5G upgrades, AIDC projects boost Taiwan telcos in May
Jun 12

Strong 5G upgrade momentum, Mother's Day handset promotions, and a wave of enterprise ICT projects tied to AI data center buildouts and cloud computing infrastructure helped Taiwan's three major telecom operators post solid results in May 2026. Chunghwa Telecom logged record-high revenue and EBITDA for the month of May, while Taiwan Mobile kept its lead in profitability with EPS of NT$0.50, and Far EasTone continued its growth in mobile services with the industry's highest 5G penetration among monthly-plan users.

Sercomm Corporation said its revenue for the first five months of 2026 hit a record NT$30 billion (US$950 million), up 55% from a year earlier, signaling continued momentum in telecom and networking markets that could matter for global broadband customers, suppliers, and investors. The company said growth is being driven by AI-enabled applications, new products, and expansion into additional markets.
Transsion Holdings, Africa's long-time "king of mobile phones," is turning to energy storage as smartphone profits weaken. The question is whether its African channel empire can become a real energy business, or whether it will become just another low-margin hardware extension.
The artificial intelligence boom has created clear winners among semiconductor and memory manufacturers. Shares of companies such as Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix and Micron Technology have climbed as demand for AI memory chips continues to surge.
Apple's new Siri AI has finally arrived, but its absence from China threatens to weaken the company's artificial intelligence (AI) strategy in one of the world's most important smartphone markets.

India has effectively paused Starlink's commercial entry, underscoring how geopolitical tensions can shape global internet access and slow satellite expansion in major markets. For readers worldwide, the case shows how regulators may tighten scrutiny when foreign-controlled communications systems are seen as a security risk during conflict.

Lens maker Largan Precision held its shareholders' meeting on June 9, where chairman Adam Lin, long known for his terse public remarks, appeared relaxed and offered unusually detailed views on the industry, technology, and Largan's own operations. His comments showed clear optimism toward the company's development of fiber array units (FAUs).
Apple unveiled a sweeping overhaul of its artificial intelligence offering at WWDC 2026 on June 8, but two of its most important markets — China and the EU — will not receive the full suite of new features at launch. The reasons differ significantly between the two regions, and industry watchers say the gap poses a strategic risk for a company whose AI pitch depends on delivering a consistent, platform-wide experience.
Wireless technology provider Astrogate, founded in 2019, has built a Taiwan-based R&D operation into a business platform spanning wireless projection, AR smart glasses, and drones, and is now pushing deeper into Southeast Asia with a pure made-in-Taiwan approach. Since launching its own Astros brand in 2024, the company has quickly established a split business model in which branding and ODM operations each account for half of its revenue.
A city in China has begun investigating the connections between its local companies and Dreame Technology, a Chinese company known for its robot vacuum cleaners that has reportedly spun off nearly 1000 affiliated companies within 18 months. The move follows a wave of online scrutiny over Dreame's business model, particularly its reliance on local state-owned funding while it aggressively seeks to expand into an expansive range of technology sectors.

NTT plans to establish an investment fund of more than JPY70 billion (approx. US$440 million), with major South Korean and Taiwanese partners to accelerate the international expansion of IOWN, its next-generation communications platform based on optical technology, Yomiuri reported.