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Jan 13, 15:53
Taiwan's EMS/ODM sector ends 2025 with AI servers driving record months and reshaping the rankings
Taiwan's electronics manufacturing services (EMS) and original design manufacturing (ODM) sector closed December 2025 with a sharply bifurcated performance: AI server and cloud data-center supply chains continued to post standout growth and fresh revenue records, while PC-focused ODMs were steady, and many traditional consumer-electronics and peripherals manufacturers remained subdued. Automotive, industrial, and IoT-related businesses showed signs of recovery, but results varied widely by project timing and customer qualification cycles.
Leading IC distributors WT Microelectronics and WPG reported strong revenue growth in 2025, fueled by robust demand from AI and data-center sectors. WT Microelectronics posted a record annual revenue of NT$1.18 trillion (approx. US$37.3 billion), up 22.8% year-over-year, while WPG neared the NT$1 trillion mark with NT$999.12 billion in sales, growing 13.47% year-over-year.
DeepSeek founder Liang Wenfeng has published a new paper with a research team from Peking University, outlining key technical directions for next-generation sparse large language models. The study is widely viewed as an early look at the architecture behind DeepSeek V4.
LG debuts CLOiD home robot at CES 2026
Jan 13, 15:33
At CES 2026, LG unveiled several innovative products, but the spotlight was on its global debut of the household robot CLOiD. This home robot is an evolution of LG's 2018 CLOi series, featuring upgraded robotics technology and aligning with CES 2026's "Zero Labor" vision to tackle the last mile of automated household chores—such as placing food in the oven or removing and folding laundry.
At CES 2026, the smart home has moved beyond simple "connectivity" into an era of "proactive service," evolving from command-driven devices into home assistants that can anticipate needs and make decisions autonomously.
Uber announced on January 13 that Cesar Molina Leguia has been named the General Manager of Uber Taiwan, effective immediately. Former General Manager Margarita Peker will transition to the role of Global Head of Family Growth at Uber.
Acer is intensifying its efforts in the Indian PC market, aiming to increase its consumer PC market share from 15% to 20% by 2026, with gaming PCs playing a central role, according to Harish Kohli, president and managing director of Acer India. The company's push includes hosting the annual Predator League esports finals in New Delhi.
MediaTek recently announced its December 2025 and full-year revenue results. December revenue reached NT$51.266 billion (approx. US$1.6 billion), up 9.32% month-over-month and 22.99% year-over-year, while the full-year revenue totaled NT$595.966 billion, marking a 12.32% year-over-year increase. The strong rebound in December not only pushed annual revenue close to the NT$600 billion mark but also surpassed the company's high-end fourth quarter financial forecast.
Market sources say Xiaomi is expanding its in-house XRing chip lineup. Beyond developing the next-generation XRing O2 on TSMC's N3P process, the company also plans to extend these processors into "non-smartphone" products to further raise its level of self-reliance.
India's PC market is poised for strong growth, supported by the country's vast population and proactive government initiatives in digital transformation and local manufacturing. Despite India's population of 1.5 billion, the current annual PC sales volume is only around 15 million units, reflecting a penetration rate of roughly 10%, according to Harish Kohli, president and managing director of Acer India. This gap indicates a substantial opportunity for growth in both demand and production.
Google and Apple have entered a multiyear collaboration under which the next generation of Apple Foundation Models will be built on Google's Gemini models and cloud technology. The partnership will help power future Apple Intelligence features, including a more personalized version of Siri expected later this year.
The persistent memory chip shortage, which has persisted from 2025 into 2026, continues to challenge the PC industry, prompting Acer's Asia-Pacific operations to implement a "triple cheese burger" strategy. The approach aims to address soaring memory prices and supply constraints by simultaneously targeting diverse market segments, according to Andrew Hou, president of Acer's Pan-Asia Pacific Operations Headquarters.