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Wednesday 5 March 2025
TSMC's massive US expansion tests Trump's labor strategy, says DIGITIMES analyst
With geopolitical pressures intensifying rapidly after Trump's inauguration as President of the US, TSMC announced on March 4, 2025, that it would invest an additional US$100 billion in the US. However, this new investment plan still tests the Trump administration's ability to address issues related to factory construction and talent shortages
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Thursday 6 March 2025
Asian Perspectives (2): From Shoreline to Skyline
How big is Singapore? Around 700 square kilometers—roughly the size of Pudong north of Century Avenue in Shanghai. After dark, dinner was served on the first floor of the Capella Hotel, with six tables arranged for about 60 guests, including our hosts from Bank of America (BoA)
Tuesday 4 March 2025
Two major challenges for TSMC's US$100 billion US investment and 6 other takeaways
In a historic White House press conference, President Donald Trump joined TSMC Chairman C.C. Wei to announce a monumental US$100 billion investment by TSMC in the United States. The event, attended by US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick and White House AI and Semiconductor Advisor David Sacks, underscored America's aggressive push to reassert dominance in the global semiconductor industry. Beyond the staggering financial commitment, the conference revealed the strategic motivations, economic implications, and key personalities shaping this transformative deal
Tuesday 4 March 2025
Chinese smartphone market shipments soar in 4Q24 before slip in 1Q25, says DIGITIMES
Smartphone shipments in the Chinese market reached slightly less than 79 million units in the fourth quarter of 2024, representing a 14.9% increase quarter-over-quarter and a 0.6% growth year-over-year. Looking ahead to the first quarter of 2025, it is estimated that shipment volumes will experience a single-digit decline, according to DIGITIMES' latest report covering the Chinese smartphone market
Friday 28 February 2025
Chinese smartphone brands enjoyed growth in 4Q24 before a close to 10% decline in 1Q25, says DIGITIMES
With non-Chinese markets entering their traditional off-season and the Chinese market lacking a nationwide shopping promotion event, overall smartphone shipments by Chinese brands are expected to decrease by 9.7% on quarter in the first quarter of 2025 after enjoying good sequential growth in the fourth quarter of 2024, according to DIGITIMES' latest report covering China's smartphone industry
Thursday 27 February 2025
Chinese smartphone AP shipments decrease sequentially in 4Q24, but stay flat in 1Q25, says DIGITIMES
Chinese smartphone application processors (APs) shipments are expected to remain stable in the first quarter of 2025 despite the traditional off-season, supported by China's handset subsidy policy. Mid-to-high-end 5G models will likely appeal more to consumers within the subsidy-eligible price range, according to DIGITIMES' latest report covering Chinese smartphone AP market
Wednesday 26 February 2025
Hidden visionary behind China's CMOS image sensor revolution
Fueled by the surging demand for CMOS Image Sensor (CIS) components in intelligent driving systems and consumer electronics, Will Semiconductor (WillSemi), the company behind OmniVision, has in recent years eclipsed its American and Japanese rivals to emerge as China's dominant supplier of sensor components. Orchestrating this remarkable ascent is the low-profile yet formidable Renrong Yu
Tuesday 25 February 2025
Trump's energy policy reversal puts renewables to market test
President Donald Trump wasted no time reshaping US energy policy, signing the "Unleashing American Energy" executive order on his first day in office. The sweeping directive dismantles the Biden administration's clean energy framework while bolstering fossil fuel industries, marking one of the sharpest policy reversals in recent US history
Tuesday 25 February 2025
TSMC's calculated waiting game in Trump 2.0 era
Just one month into his presidency, US President Donald Trump has commanded global attention with his rapid-fire initiatives. The impact of his second-term policies has upended traditional expectations, with industry sources revealing that five major Taiwanese electronics manufacturers are exploring investment opportunities in Texas in response to Trump's tariff threats. However, TSMC maintains a measured stance, carefully monitoring developments
Tuesday 25 February 2025
Global server shipments to slip less than 5% in 1Q25, but volumes in 2024 stay growing YoY, says DIGITIMES
The global server shipments are expected to see a mild decline of 3.8% in the first quarter of 2025 and among US-based cloud service providers (CSPs), Meta will maintain a relatively high level of shipments, while Google's shipments are expected to rebound this quarter, having seen a significant decline in the previous quarter, according to DIGITIMES' latest server research report covering global shipments and market status
Friday 21 February 2025
Reversal of trends in the semiconductor industry (2): A return to vertical integration amid limits of miniaturization
If two competitive strategies within an industry can both become dominant at different times, it is natural for these strategies to shift as industry conditions change
Friday 21 February 2025
Trump's transactional tactics threaten Taiwan's advanced semiconductor future
There is a growing sense of unease in Taiwan, driven by what is perceived as a transactional approach from US President Donald Trump. Trump's reported interest in acquiring 50% of Ukraine's rare earth minerals in exchange for security assurances has drawn parallels to Taiwan's situation, particularly regarding its advanced chip manufacturing capabilities
Thursday 20 February 2025
Reversal of trends in the semiconductor industry (1): From vertical integration to value chain deconstruction
Over the past 70 years of semiconductor industry development, there has been a significant shift towards deconstructing the industrial value chain into individual value chain nodes
Thursday 20 February 2025
Trump's proposed 25% tariffs on automotive and chip imports have caused 'chaos' among industry leaders
US President Donald Trump announced plans to impose 25% tariffs on auto imports, semiconductors, and pharmaceuticals starting as early as April 2, with potential increases over time. This follows his recent 10% tariff on Chinese goods and 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum
Wednesday 19 February 2025
Taiwanese automotive component makers pivot to AI, semiconductors, and healthcare
The rapid rise of AI-driven applications in smart healthcare, semiconductors, and data storage has pushed many Taiwanese companies traditionally focused on automotive components to undergo strategic transformations in recent years, achieving significant milestones along the way
Wednesday 19 February 2025
China shifts strategy on US tech rivalry: industry leaders responds to Xi's call
In Beijing's early spring of 2025, the Chinese government reconvened its first meeting with private enterprises in nearly six years, with technology taking center stage