Backend service providers face as much as a 50% shortage of packaging materials from until June as a result of production issues at Japanese suppliers. MediaTek is prioritizing shipments for 5G chips, telling its Chinese handset clients that it is cutting output for 4G offerings amid tight foundry supply. Despite tight foundry capacity, TSMC has promised more support for the car industry. Demand for automotive chip probing services is expected to stay brisk throughout the year.
The four major subsidiaries of Samsung Electronics in Vietnam garnered revenues of US$63.25 billion in 2020, decreasing 4% from a year earlier, with their combined earnings sliding to US$3.8 billion from US$4.3 billion during the same period, according to local media reports.
Shipments of smartphone application processors for use by China-based handset vendors reached 212 million units in the first quarter of 2021, increasing 0.2% from a quarter earlier, according to data compiled by Digitimes Research.
Despite weakened orders from Sony, TSMC still has been ramping up its 28nm chip output with plans to build additional production capacity at its Nanjing fab in China, according to industry sources.
Taiwan's 3D sensor, PA and VCM suppliers for iPhones are expected to revive their inventory-preparation momentum for new iPhones starting June following a slowdown in delivering shipments for the iPhone 12 series in April and May, according to industry sources.
GaAs foundry Win Semiconductors expects robust power amplifier (PA) demand for 5G and Wi-Fi 6E applications to drive its revenue growth in the second half of 2021.
China-based smartphone vendors saw their combined first-quarter 2021 shipments decline 9.7% sequentially to 191 million units, which, however, represented a sharp on-year increase of 73.8%, with the on-quarter fall also improving significantly from corresponding shrinkages of over 20% seen in pre-pandemic years, according to Digitimes Research.
MediaTek expects to post another sequential increase of 10-18% in revenues for the second quarter, with revenues to fall between NT$118.8-127.5 billion (US$4.22-4.53 billion) under the exchange rate of US$1 to NT$28.2.
Apple has announced financial results for its fiscal 2021 second quarter ended March 27, 2021, posting revenues of US$89.6 billion, up 54% on year, and quarterly earnings per diluted share of US$1.40.
Apple plans to release a new purple-colored iPhone 12 in the Taiwan market at the end of April, aiming to prolong the sales momentum of its iPhone 12 lineup in the local market, according to market sources.
China's software industry consisting of 39,719 companies generated revenues totaling CNY1,902.955 billion (US$293.65 billion) in first-quarter 2021, growing 26.5% on year, according to China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT).
