Taiwan-based semiconductor suppliers MediaTek, Novatek, Realtek, Sunplus, ITE Tech, PixArt Imaging, Weltrend, Fitipower, NOVA, and Nuvoton have joined the Foxconn-led EV consortium, MIH, to expand car application businesses.

Unikorn Semiconductor, a provider of compound semiconductor foundry services, expects its operation to grow by 2-3 times over the next 3-5 years and accordingly is in preparation to expand production capacity and set up production capacity for new products, according to company chairman Wayne Shih and president JS Wen.

IC design houses intend to continue scaling up their inventory levels for specific chips or applications, despite a recent slowdown in end-market demand for consumer devices, according to industry sources.

There will be 887 million large-size (9-inch and above) LCD panels shipped globally in 2021 and the shipments will increase to 918 million units in 2026 at a CAGR of 0.69%, according to Digitimes Research.

In the China market, 2.36 million TVs were sold during the week-long holidays in early October 2021, decreasing 12.2% on year, while the corresponding sales value of CNY9.1 billion (US$1.4 billion) increased 0.6%, according to All View Consulting (AVC).

Quotes for TV-use LCD panels have been dropping since July 2021 and are expected to slip further in the fourth quarter of 2021, according to industry sources.

American energy storage system integrator Powin Energy is partnering up with Taiwan's Leader Energy Storage Technologies, making Leader an exclusive agent in Taiwan. By signing a deal with Leader, Powin has become the second one-stop energy storage system supplier in Taiwan after Tesla.

First-tier China-based lithium battery makers, despite continual hikes in material cost, have kept quotes unchanged for LTA (long-term agreement) supplies, according to industry sources.

5G network can help advance smart mobility in the future and Taiwanese suppliers should develop more innovations on Internet of Vehicle (IoV) to have a cut of the smart mobility industry, according to Wu Meng-Fen, the chief consultant at Taiwan Telematics Industry Association (TTIA).

Apple has unveiled its new MacBook Pro powered by M1 Pro and M1 Max - the first pro chips designed for the Mac.

Quanta Computer will open its new plant for server production in Thailand in early 2022, according to industry sources.

Apple has announced the third generation of AirPods featuring spatial audio, delivering advanced features in a new contoured design.

Despite reports claiming Apple would cut its orders for the iPhone 13 series, sources from related camera module component suppliers have pointed out that their orders for October and early November have not seen any major changes.

Makers in Apple's supply chain have seen no major changes to orders for iPhone 13 devices despite speculation about the US vendor looking to cut production for the new smartphones. The memory sector is entering a period of correction, with commodity DRAM prices likely to fall 15-20% in first-quarter 2022. Rising components, production and logistic costs are heaping pressure on notebook vendors.

Established in Bangkok, Thailand in 1967, Charoong Thai Wire & Cable (CTW) is the largest telecommunication cable manufacturer in Thailand and a subsidiary of Pacific Electric Wire and Cable.