As 2024 comes to a close, the global technology industry is looking forward to new opportunities in 2025. The rapid implementation of generative AI (GenAI) technologies has led to an influx of new applications, while the electric vehicle (EV) market is poised for significant developments in the new year.

Honor, the Chinese smartphone manufacturer, announced on its official website that it has transitioned into a joint-stock company as of December 28, 2024, with its official name now Honor Terminal Company, Ltd. According to reports from ICSmart and HKET, the restructuring, launched in the fourth quarter of 2024, has been carried out seamlessly.

Three prominent Chinese tech companies -- semiconductor firm Eswin Technology Group, battery maker Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL), and smartphone manufacturer Honor -- are preparing for public listing in 2025.

Foxconn has reportedly completed a US$230 million project in Tamil Nadu to build dormitories for its predominantly female workforce, enhancing convenience and support for their staff as Foxconn commits to expanding its operations in India.

Major Chinese technology companies have unveiled their strategic goals for 2025, with plans spanning from electric vehicle sales to artificial intelligence innovations. Tech giants Xiaomi, Baidu, and Huawei have outlined their vision for the year ahead, signaling transformative changes and challenges facing China's technology sector.

According to Wccftech and The Verge, Apple's Vision Pro mixed reality headset has failed to meet sales expectations since its February launch. The company has revised its 2024 shipment forecast to fewer than 500,000 units, falling significantly short of the initial target of exceeding one million units. The device's US$3,499 price tag and limited application ecosystem have proven to be major barriers to adoption.

Samsung Electronics aims to reclaim its leadership position in India's smartphone market by launching affordable new products in early 2025. According to reports from Sam Mobile and SE Daily, the company will introduce the Galaxy F16 5G smartphone in India in the first quarter of 2025. The Galaxy F series specifically targets developing markets like India and Bangladesh.

Donald Trump's return to the US presidency, coupled with his appointment of hawkish cabinet members focused on China, signals the likelihood of escalated trade and technology sanctions against Chinese firms. Huawei, a key target during Trump's first term, is expected to face renewed pressure under his administration.

The IC design industry has seen demand in 2024 vary starkly across different applications: cloud AI-related demand continued to grow month by month, while the edge device sector was fraught with uncertainty throughout the year, going through a series of up and downs in a manifestation of the pessimistic outlook for the sector held by many in the supply chain.

Wingtech, a Chinese ODM and IDM powerhouse, announced on December 30 that it has signed a letter of intent to transfer the equity and operating assets of nine ODM subsidiaries to Luxshare Precision Industry. This acquisition would mark a watershed moment in the supply chain landscape.

Royole Technologies, once a leading innovator in flexible OLED panels, has seen its assets go unsold in multiple auctions following its bankruptcy filing in a Shenzhen court in November 2024. According to Nikkei, IC Smart, and 36kr, the company's liquidation process has stalled despite price reductions.

As 2024 draws to a close, Taiwan's annual smartphone shipments show modest but steady growth. Despite challenges such as high inflation, extended upgrade cycles, and a saturated market, the integration of generative AI (GenAI) features has contributed to market recovery. Taiwan's smartphone shipments are projected to surpass 5 million units, representing nearly 2% growth compared to 2023.

Despite the fact that Huawei employs mobile processors manufactured by China's SMIC, the company continues to rely on non-Chinese memory manufacturers for its premium smartphones, according to market sources.

Supported by investor enthusiasm for artificial intelligence (AI) along with an estimated 300 million iPhones exceeding four years of age, there are strong indicators that Apple may experience an upgrade "supercycle." According to MarketWatch, there are approximately 300 million iPhones in use worldwide that have surpassed four years of age, suggesting a potentially significant surge in replacement demand.

According to Silicon Motion Technology, a specialist in memory device controllers, the NAND flash industry is expected to reach a supply-demand balance or experience a slight shortage in the second half of 2025.

Samsung Electronics (Samsung) plans to boost shipments of its Galaxy S series in 2025 while scaling back targets for the Galaxy Z series, as the company shifts focus to its flagship models amid sluggish sales of foldable devices.

Samsung Electronics is preparing to unveil its latest products at the Galaxy Unpacked event scheduled for January 2025. This event is set to feature the launch of the flagship Galaxy S25 smartphone series, along with the introduction of new devices like the Galaxy Ring 2 and augmented reality (AR) smart glasses, which will be integral to the expanding Galaxy AI ecosystem.

MediaTek held a Dimensity product launch event in Beijing, China, on the 23rd, with Xiaomi executives attending as partners and Vivo and Oppo showing support through videos. Xiaomi's subsidiary Redmi will launch the Turbo 4 in 2025, becoming the first partner with MediaTek to introduce the Dimensity 8400 chipset in their products.

While Samsung Electronics has integrated its own Exynos 2400 chip in some models of the Galaxy S24 series, the foldable Galaxy Z Flip6 and Fold6 series are still entirely equipped with Qualcomm Snapdragon chips. Currently, Samsung's competitiveness in the application processor (AP) sector remains relatively weak, and whether the upcoming Exynos 2500 can reverse this trend is closely watched.

MediaTek has introduced its new Dimensity 8400 SoC series for light flagship smartphones, with Redmi being the first to release a model featuring this processor.

Indonesia has demanded Apple establish manufacturing facilities commensurate with its market size in the country. As global supply chains continue to evolve, such requirements from nations may become increasingly common.

Samsung Display is advancing its microOLED technology by shifting from silicon wafers to glass substrates, a move aimed at improving production efficiency and reducing costs for AR/VR devices.

Apple has halted work on a project to build an iPhone hardware subscription service, according to people familiar with the matter, retreating from an attempt to change the way consumers buy its flagship device.

Ahead of the holiday season, Google introduced the Gemini 2.0 model alongside its Android XR operating system and released a video highlighting advancements in Project Astra. Despite setbacks with earlier smart glasses projects, this move—leveraging the current AI innovation—has reignited speculation about a potential new smart glasses launch.

The explosive growth in AI adoption has created opportunities beyond traditional computing sectors, with networking suppliers emerging as major beneficiaries. While Broadcom, a leader in wireless networking chips and prominent ASIC provider, gains attention for its AI ASIC growth, Taiwan-based networking switch makers like Accton and Senao Networks are discovering new growth avenues through AI servers.