Apple's newly introduced MacBook Neo, a low-cost laptop priced from US$599, uses the A18 Pro chip instead of the newer A19 Pro, according to a report from Wccftech, which attributed the decision partly to supply constraints affecting advanced semiconductor manufacturing nodes.
Japanese auto parts supplier Denso has made a takeover proposal for Kyoto-based chipmaker Rohm in a deal that could reach about JPY1.3 trillion (approx. US$8.3 billion), according to reports from Nikkei and Reuters.
China's semiconductor industry leaders are calling for a nationwide effort to develop a domestic equivalent of ASML within five years, saying the country must move beyond fragmented development and build a more integrated industry capable of competing with global leaders.
The semiconductor industry had widely expected Samsung's Taylor fab to begin large-scale production before the end of 2026. However, the latest industry information obtained by The JoongAng suggests there may be discrepancies between expectations and the actual situation, prompting renewed attention to whether the project's progress is encountering new variables.
Intel appears to be recalibrating a cornerstone of its advanced manufacturing strategy as CEO Lip‑Bu Tan signals that the company's 18A process might soon be offered to external chip customers—a notable shift after initially planning to reserve the technology mainly for Intel's own products. According to Reuters, CFO David Zinsner told investors at a San Francisco tech conference that recent progress on 18A has convinced Tan that the process "is actually a good node to offer to external customers as well."
In the AI era, technological competition among leading chip design companies continues to intensify. Broadcom announced in 2024 that it was working with TSMC to launch its 3.5D eXtreme Dimension System in Package (XDSiP) platform, with products scheduled to ship in 2026. Broadcom has now confirmed that the product, built on a 2nm process and using 3.5D system-level packaging, has begun shipping on schedule, primarily to customer Fujitsu.
