Space-related business opportunities have returned to the spotlight, and SpaceX is expected to go public in bringing data centers to space. Within Taiwanese IC design companies, MediaTek is leading in involvement and business scale in the satellite sector. It currently focuses primarily on satellite communications, maintaining influence in the formation of satellite broadband network standards and promoting direct-to-cell smartphone applications. Additionally, its subsidiary Airoha offers GNSS positioning chips, and its newly developed Ethernet chips have teamed up with MediaTek's Wi-Fi chips for satellite communication ground transceivers.

Luxshare Precision Industry is accelerating efforts to diversify its business mix as it seeks to reduce its heavy reliance on Apple-linked consumer electronics, even as that segment remains the company's largest revenue contributor. Financial data show consumer electronics accounted for 79% of Luxshare's revenue in the first half of 2025, down from a peak of 88% in 2020 and 85% in 2023, signaling a gradual but deliberate rebalancing.

Apple is facing renewed cost pressure as its long-term DRAM supply contracts with South Korean memory makers approach expiry in January 2026, heightening concerns that higher component costs could spill over into its next generation of devices.

The smartphone industry is facing considerable cost challenges in 2026 amid ongoing memory supply shortages and rising prices. This situation is expected to lead to a 1.6% decrease in annual shipments, a shift from the earlier forecast of 2.8% growth made in September, according to DIGITIMES analyst Luke Lin.

South Korea has decided to make full 5G standalone (SA) deployment mandatory for mobile operators as a condition for renewing expiring 3G and LTE spectrum licenses, marking one of the strongest regulatory pushes globally to accelerate the transition beyond non-standalone (NSA) 5G.

Taiwan-based networking equipment maker Microelectronics Technology Inc. (MTI) is poised to enter 2026 with renewed momentum, forecasting a rebound across its two core business lines: open radio access network (O-RAN) and satellite communications.

Gemtek Technology aims to significantly expand shipments to India with new investments in optical communications and AI system-on-module sectors. The networking company plans a 100-fold increase by early 2026, contingent on national certification of its Wi-Fi over mmWave Technology (WoMT) in India.

After two years of industry-wide inventory corrections, Taiwan's networking sector is showing early signs of recovery, with Qisda Group subsidiaries Alpha Networks and Hitron Technologies both returning to profitability in the third quarter of 2025. Their improved results coincide with stabilizing operations and renewed product momentum, including Alpha's upcoming 1.6T liquid-cooled switch.

Ubiqconn Technology, part of the First International Computer Group, announced that its technical foundation in maritime communications and satellite applications continues to support new business development. Orders for unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) ground control stations (GCS) are being implemented and will gradually be reflected in operations according to project schedules.

Competition in the foldable smartphone market is accelerating as Huawei, Samsung Electronics, and Apple advance new device plans aimed at reshaping the high-end segment. Huawei has begun global sales of its latest ultra-thin Mate X7, Samsung's first tri-fold device, which sold out immediately in South Korea, and Apple is preparing to debut its long-anticipated foldable iPhone in 2026, according to industry sources and analysts.

Taiwan's leading telecom operators—Chunghwa Telecom (CHT), Taiwan Mobile, and Far EasTone (FET)—each reported revenue growth for November 2025. The sustained popularity of Apple's iPhone 17, combined with the Singles' Day shopping festival and government cash handouts, drove positive momentum across their core telecom businesses.