Anthropic has been in talks with Fractile, a London-based startup, to purchase its inference chips for running its AI models more efficiently, as inferential AI tasks have pushed up compute demands, according to The Information. Although Fractile's AI chips are not expected to be available until next year at the earliest, the deal could give the maker of Claude more leverage with suppliers as it seeks to expand AI capacity to meet soaring demand.

Meta Platforms has acquired Assured Robot Intelligence (ARI), a startup focused on AI models for humanoid robots, marking another step in the company's broader push into physical-world artificial intelligence (AI).

Below are the most-read DIGITIMES Asia stories from the week of April 27-May 4, 2026:

In a landmark shift coinciding with its second quarter of fiscal 2026 results, Apple has announced that it will no longer maintain its formal "net cash neutral" target. This financial pivot comes as the company prepares for a significant leadership transition: John Ternus, the current hardware engineering chief, will succeed Tim Cook as CEO on September 1, 2026.

Realtek's projection of a sharp fall in full-year 2026 PC shipments amid tight memory supply signals wider device-market shifts: global brands are prioritizing mid- and high-end models and premium components, boosting demand for higher-content semiconductors as unit volumes fall, with implications for laptop pricing, vendor strategies, and component suppliers worldwide.

Foxconn's Hon Hai Research Institute has launched its second-generation low-Earth-orbit satellites, PEARL-1A and PEARL-1B, from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The mission has entered an on-orbit validation phase as part of a satellite networking strategy.

Tata Electronics has rapidly expanded its electronics manufacturing operations, emerging as one of Apple's most important contract manufacturers in India as the country strengthens its position in global electronics production.

Asia Optical reported its first-quarter 2026 financial results, posting consolidated revenue of NT$6.21 billion (approx. US$196.43 million), up 15% year-over-year. Gross profit rose 16% from a year earlier to NT$1.07 billion, while operating income increased 58% from the first quarter of 2025 to NT$482 million, marking record highs for all three for the same period.

Delta Electronics reported record consolidated revenue and profit in the first quarter, driven by stronger demand from cloud service providers and AI-related data center projects. The firm disclosed quarterly revenue of NT$159.4 billion (US$5.05 billion) in the first quarter, up 34% year-over-year, and record gross and operating margins of 37% and 17.8%, respectively, attributing the gains to a higher mix of AI products, scale effects, and a one-time compensation payment related to certain electric vehicle projects.