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Feb 6
Qualcomm, MediaTek strike cautious tone as smartphone market pressures mount
Qualcomm and MediaTek struck a similar cautionary tone on the smartphone market outlook during their latest earnings calls, pointing to mounting pressure from memory shortages and rising component costs. Pressure is already being felt across the supply chain, with these factors expected to place substantial strain on smartphone brand customers, particularly Chinese brands.
Telecom broadband equipment maker Sercomm Corporation said on February 6, 2026, that its revenue for January 2026 reached NT$5.18 billion (US$164 million), up 32.9% from NT$3.9 billion in the same period in January 2024.
MediaTek said smartphone-related revenue is expected to fall sharply in the first quarter of 2026. The company's smartphone segment recorded a quarterly revenue high in the fourth quarter of 2025, with full-year revenue exceeding US$10 billion, up 8% year-on-year and setting a new record. Flagship chips accounted for US$3 billion of that total. Based on end-market demand, MediaTek's smartphone chip shipments are estimated to be split roughly 30% for high-end models and 70% for mid- and low-tier devices.
Texas Instruments (TI) recently announced that it will acquire IoT wireless connectivity specialist Silicon Labs for US$7.5 billion, with the deal expected to be completed in the first half of 2027. The announcement surprised the market, as it marks TI's largest acquisition since its purchase of National Semiconductor in 2011.
During MediaTek's earnings call on February 3, CEO Rick Tsai cautioned that smartphone demand is expected to encounter difficulties in 2026. Contrasting this outlook, Pegatron chairman Tzu Hsien Tung expressed a more optimistic view, highlighting the dominance of smartphones over the past 16 years and the potential for future growth driven by emerging markets.
Texas Instruments (TI) has announced that it has reached an agreement to acquire chip designer Silicon Laboratories for approximately US$7.5 billion, marking the largest deal for TI since its US$6.5 billion purchase of National Semiconductor in 2011. The acquisition underscores TI's strategy to strengthen its presence in wireless connectivity chips for industrial, consumer, and smart-device applications.

At its first quarter fiscal year 2026 earnings call, Skyworks Solutions addressed investor concerns around mobile content stability, pricing risk, and visibility into upcoming handset cycles, emphasizing defensiveness over aggressive growth assumptions.

Chunghwa Telecom (CHT) announced the results of its consolidated business operations for the fourth quarter of 2025 on February 3: consolidated revenue reached NT$65.65 billion (US$2.08 billion), up 0.5% year-on-year; operating profit dropped by 2.2% to NT$11.38 billion (US$360 million); EBITDA decreased slightly by 0.2% to NT$21.55 billion (US$681 million); net income attributable to parent company shareholders rose 3.2% to NT$9.29 billion (US$294 million); and earnings per share (EPS) stood at NT$1.20.
The ZTE Corporation has scored a major win in its global patent dispute with Samsung Electronics after a US federal judge dismissed Samsung's FRAND contract and antitrust lawsuit, shifting legal leverage toward the Chinese telecom equipment maker.
Last week, Apple released its latest financial results for the first quarter of fiscal year 2026, with the iPhone 17 series continuing to post strong sales. Overall, iPhone shipments grew 23% year over year, with particularly standout performance in the Chinese market. Apple CEO Tim Cook said the number of users switching from Android to Apple far exceeded expectations. Considering that China's overall smartphone market did not actually grow in the previous quarter, this implies a relative decline in market share for other Chinese smartphone brands. This undoubtedly adds revenue pressure for other SoC vendors such as MediaTek and Qualcomm.
India's smartphone market experienced a mixed trajectory in 2025, according to Counterpoint Research. The year began on a softer note, weighed down by elevated inventory and a slow product launch calendar. Momentum picked up in the second quarter, driven by fresh device launches, aggressive promotions, and festive-season channel stocking, pushing third-quarter shipments to a record quarterly value. Shipments slowed again in the fourth quarter as brands focused on inventory correction and managed rising component costs. Overall, the market grew 1% year-on-year in volume but posted a stronger 8% year-on-year growth in value, reflecting sustained premiumization.
China has for the first time formally designated "future industries," with the framework for policy support now taking shape. The move signals a shift away from conceptual discussion, placing these sectors at the core of the country's upcoming 15th Five-Year Plan.