DIGITIMES Asia news

Friday 15 August 2025

China pushes back against Nvidia H20 chip exports amid US trade tensions

Chinese authorities have recently voiced concerns about the reauthorization of shipments for Nvidia Corporation's H20 AI chips, highlighting fears that these chips could be remotely disabled by the US. This capability, they argue, could be exploited to hinder China's AI development. In response, reports indicate that Beijing is encouraging domestic cloud providers to shift away from Nvidia's chips in favor of locally produced alternatives

Friday 15 August 2025

Commentary: China's chip equipment underdog stands up to Applied Materials as local substitution wave rises

Beijing E-Town Semiconductor Technology has sued US chipmaking equipment leader Applied Materials in a Chinese court, seeking nearly CNY100 million (approx. US$13.9 million) in damages for alleged trade secret misappropriation. Beyond the immediate legal battle, the case signals a strategic shift: Chinese semiconductor equipment firms, once largely reactive in disputes, are now asserting themselves on the global stage

Friday 15 August 2025

Samsung plays the long game on DDR4 as rivals exit for DDR5

Samsung Electronics is again at the center of speculation over a potential end to DDR4 DRAM production, as fresh industry reports indicate it may keep the older-generation memory in its lineup longer than anticipated. While leading DRAM makers are shifting to higher-performance DDR5, DDR4 continues to deliver reliable profits in specific markets, making it a potential hold for Samsung

Friday 15 August 2025

Fire at Kanto Denka Kogyo in Japan raises concerns over semiconductor supply chain disruption

A fire broke out early on August 7, 2025, at the nitrogen trifluoride (NF3) plant of Japanese industrial gas manufacturer Kanto Denka Kogyo in Shibukawa City, Gunma Prefecture. The incident raised concerns over potential supply chain disruptions in the semiconductor industry

Friday 15 August 2025

Clevo sees steady gains on high-end laptop sales, eyes AI-driven growth

Clevo, a Taiwanese notebook manufacturer, posted steady operating gains in the second quarter of 2025, buoyed by a sharp shift toward high-margin, niche-market laptops. The company expects further upside in the second half, as demand surges for AI-powered PCs and customers prepare for the end of Windows 10 support

Friday 15 August 2025

Japan's NEDO commissions AIRoA to build data platform for robot foundation models

The New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) of Japan has announced it will entrust the AI Robot Association (AIRoA) with establishing a data platform to support the development of robotic foundation models

Friday 15 August 2025

Applied Materials warns of $500M China sales drop in Q4 FY 2025

Applied Materials reported strong third-quarter fiscal 2025 results, but warned that revenue and profit will decline sequentially in the fourth quarter as the company navigates a combination of market and policy headwinds. The company cited weaker spending from Chinese customers, a growing backlog of pending export license applications, and non-linear demand from leading-edge customers as key factors weighing on the near-term outlook

Friday 15 August 2025

Applied Materials posts higher sales, warns of slowdown on China demand drop

Applied Materials reported higher sales and profits in the third quarter of fiscal year 2025, driven by strong semiconductor systems demand, but cautioned that fiscal fourth-quarter revenue may fall due to weaker orders from China and non-linear demand from leading-edge customers

Friday 15 August 2025

Samsung chair tipped to court Nvidia as 12-high HBM3E deal nears

Samsung Electronics is expected to supply Nvidia with its newest 12-high HBM3E memory chips, as multiple industry sources say the companies are in advanced talks over shipment volumes and delivery timelines. The potential agreement could see Samsung provide between 30,000 and 50,000 units

Friday 15 August 2025

DeepSeek's R2 stalls as Huawei Ascend chips fall short of Nvidia H100's capabilities

In the 2025 AI arms race, China's DeepSeek has become both a showcase of ambition and a cautionary tale on domestic chip limitations. Founded in Hangzhou in 2023 and backed by hedge fund High-Flyer, the startup's R1 large language model — trained on Nvidia H100 GPUs — gained global recognition in January for advanced reasoning, coding, and multilingual performance, positioning it alongside OpenAI's GPT-4

Friday 15 August 2025

Samsung turns to MediaTek for Galaxy Tab S11, reducing Qualcomm dependence

Samsung Electronics' upcoming Galaxy Tab S11 series is reportedly set to feature a MediaTek Dimensity 9400 application processor (AP), a notable shift from its previous reliance on Qualcomm's Snapdragon platform. Analysts say the move is part of Samsung's broader strategy to reduce component costs and improve bargaining power when sourcing APs

Friday 15 August 2025

China's Visionox plots twin-track OLED surge, from Canon Tokki lines to ViP era

China's Visionox is pursuing a dual-track OLED expansion, ordering new production equipment to increase existing output while fast-tracking its proprietary Visionox Intelligent Pixelization (ViP) technology for future high-generation lines

Thursday 14 August 2025

Samsung reportedly plans US$170M in Japan packaging hub to challenge TSMC

Samsung Electronics is reportedly investing JPY25 billion (approx. US$170 million) to set up an advanced packaging research institute in Yokohama and acquire a major office tower in the city's Minato Mirai 21 district. Industry analysts say the move directly challenges TSMC's lead in cutting-edge packaging and reflects a strategic push to leverage Japan's strengths in materials, components, and semiconductor equipment

Thursday 14 August 2025

CATL leads sodium-ion battery race: South Korea rushes to prevent China's 'LFP monopoly'

As South Korean battery manufacturers officially launch mass production plans for lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries, Chinese battery companies are already prepared to make significant advances in the next-generation sodium-ion battery sector. This development is prompting South Korean firms to tighten their focus and accelerate research and development efforts. Some industry insiders express concern that China's rapid expansion in the sodium-ion battery market could recreate the previous crisis faced by South Korean LFP battery producers

Thursday 14 August 2025

Exynos comeback? Samsung nears decision on Galaxy S26 flagship chip strategy

Samsung's Exynos flagship processors may return in the 2026 Galaxy S26 lineup, industry sources say, marking a potential revival after years on the sidelines. Built on Samsung's gate-all-around (GAA) manufacturing process, the new Exynos chips are reportedly closing the gap with TSMC's 3nm products in performance and power efficiency, a development insiders see as key to regaining market share

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