Below are the most-read DIGITIMES Asia stories from July 7 to July 13, 2025. This week's top three highlights include China’s semiconductor ambitions facing setbacks as Jiangsu Advanced Memory Semiconductor cancels its restructuring amid investment delays. Meanwhile, MediaTek gains ground on Qualcomm in China’s premium smartphone market, signaling a notable industry shift. The US-China semiconductor standoff shows signs of tactical maneuvering, with both sides testing political and economic limits.
Samsung Electronics is placing a high-stakes bet on its 2nm chip manufacturing technology, as its foundry division works to reverse mounting losses and compete more effectively with global leader TSMC.
In a surprising change within the smartphone industry, MediaTek, long seen as the second largest chipmaker in the high-end sector, is gaining ground against American semiconductor giant Qualcomm in China's premium smartphone segment.
Empyrean Technology, one of China's top electronic design automation (EDA) vendors, announced on July 9 that it has terminated its proposed acquisition of Xpeedic Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. The unexpected cancellation marks a setback for China's ambitions to consolidate and strengthen its domestic EDA industry.
Industry insiders said US-China relations have been flammable ever since the trade war ignited, especially in the high-stakes arena of semiconductors. But in recent weeks, a series of diplomatic signals suggests the two sides may be testing the boundaries of each other's political and economic endurance.
Intel's once-touted 18A chipmaking process, which former CEO Pat Gelsinger emphasized as a critical factor for surpassing competitor TSMC by 2025, appears to have lost its position as the focal point of the company's strategic plans.
