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Apr 24
Largan, Sunny Optical target FAU in push toward CPO and AI optics
Largan Precision and Sunny Optical have recently announced plans to enter the fiber array unit (FAU) market, positioning it as a priority development area. Industry sources say the timing reflects the core requirements of FAU manufacturing — ultra-precision processing and sub-micron alignment — which closely match the technical strengths both companies developed in smartphone lens production. This overlap in capabilities offers significant value potential in the optical communications sector.

India is accelerating its semiconductor ambitions, from Micron Technology's Sanand ramp to new fabrication and advanced packaging projects, while expanding design partnerships. At the same time, regulatory pressure on Apple, weakening smartphone demand, and solar policy tensions highlight challenges alongside growing global supply-chain integration.

Global Wi-Fi router shipments are increasingly driven by telecom operators' upgrade cycles and tender deployments rather than consumer demand, with traditional seasonality continuing to weaken. Since 2025, the market has shown a pattern of weaker peak seasons and firmer off-seasons.

South Korea's three leading telecom operators—SK Telecom (SKT), KT, and LG U+—signaled a decisive shift beyond connectivity at the World IT Show (WIS) 2026, held April 22–24 in Seoul, unveiling AI-centric strategies spanning agents, applications, and infrastructure as they position themselves as full-stack AI platform providers.
Samsung Electronics executive chairman Lee Jae-yong's bold acquisition of premium audio brand Harman for KRW9.4 trillion (approx. US$6.3 billion) a decade ago has paid off, with the American subsidiary of Samsung posting historic highs in both revenue and operating profit.

The surge in optical module stocks reflects a deeper shift in AI infrastructure: the bottleneck is no longer computing power alone, but how that power is connected.

Starting in the second half of 2026, all flagship smartphone SoCs will transition to the 2nm process node. While this promises enhanced performance for flagship devices, it also triggers a rapid rise in production costs.

Huawei's Pura X Max launch marks a shift in the foldable smartphone market, with competition moving from a Samsung-Huawei duopoly toward a three-way race that includes Apple's expected foldable iPhone. Huawei's early move signals a push to shape the next phase of high-end market leadership rather than simply extend its premium lineup.

A new US regulatory push to scrutinize foreign-made consumer routers on national security grounds is raising questions across the global networking industry. Yet for Taiwan's key equipment vendors, the immediate outlook for 2026 appears largely stable, with some even anticipating short-term margin benefits.
According to The Korea Economic Daily, market research firm Omdia statistics show that in the 2025 iPhone display market, Samsung Display (SDC) ranked first with a 56.8% supply share, up about 8pp year-over-year. In terms of shipments, SDC's supply volume increased to around 142 million units in 2025, a year-over-year growth of about 15%.
The buildout of AI data centers is pushing optical interconnects into a new upgrade cycle, with 1.6T optical transceivers set to enter large-scale shipments in 2026, marking a turning point for the industry.
Vivo unveiled its latest mobile lineup for Taiwan at its annual launch event on April 16, including the flagship X300 Ultra and X300 FE smartphones, alongside accessories such as teleconverter zoom lenses, the Watch GT 2 smartwatch, and the Buds Pro Bluetooth earphones. Yi-ting Chen, president of Vivo Taiwan, announced that preorders would open immediately after the launch, with the X300 Ultra set for official release at the end of April and the X300 FE planned for June. By expanding its product lineup and growing sales channels, Vivo is aiming for a 30-40% boost in growth momentum from the X300 series.