Taiwan's smartphone shipments surged to nearly 560,000 units in October 2025, driven primarily by strong sales of Apple's iPhone 17 series, according to local channel operators. The figure represents a 17% increase from the previous month, marking a recent high for the market.

Apple has confirmed a restructuring of its global sales organization after eliminating dozens of roles, marking a rare round of layoffs for the company. The changes come as Apple faces heightened scrutiny over its leadership future, with reports stating that CEO Tim Cook may step down next year.

TP-Link has spent years trying to downplay its Chinese roots, but Washington remains sceptical. Bloomberg reports that the company's new Vietnam campus is being built by China State Construction Engineering Corp. (CSCEC), a state-owned contractor the US Department of Defense identifies as a Chinese military-linked enterprise. Hunan provincial officials have also listed the project as a key annual investment, heightening sensitivities as the US considers blocking TP-Link products from the American market.

China's BOE has reportedly lost its planned OLED panel supply for Apple's iPhone 17 due to unresolved quality issues. Samsung Display will take over the supply, increasing shipments to 90 million units, while BOE's contribution is expected to fall below 40 million, highlighting ongoing challenges in the Chinese panel maker's entry into high-end smartphone displays.

Oppo is ramping up efforts to enhance the global competitiveness of its mobile devices by concentrating not only on hardware research and development but also on optimizing its operating system. The company aims to improve user experience through smoother software control and seamless connectivity, seeking to strengthen the software quality that underpins its smartphones. By prioritizing high-quality software, Oppo hopes to further distinguish itself from rivals in the crowded smartphone market.

Vivo's smartphone sub-brand iQOO is set to debut in Taiwan on November 28, introducing its iQOO 15 flagship model. Industry analysts project limited overall market growth due to Taiwan's saturated smartphone market and longer device replacement cycles, but foresee notable competition shifts affecting established players such as Redmi, Poco, Realme, and Asus' ROG gaming phones.

Global memory-chip price increases continue to intensify, putting fresh pressure on the smartphone supply chain. With DRAM and NAND prices rising across the board, several brands have halted new procurement rounds as suppliers request increases approaching 50%.

Samsung Electronics Co. has reportedly reached a 60% yield rate in producing its next-generation mobile application processor (AP), the Exynos 2600, using its 2nm GAA process technology. The company aims to price the chip US$20 to US$30 lower than Qualcomm's Snapdragon equivalent.

To carve out new growth in the highly mature smartphone industry, Oppo, on November 14, launched its Apex Guard technology suite designed to safeguard user experience with quality in hardware and software. The company positions this initiative as a key foundation for strengthening brand power and product sales.

Oppo has officially opened its new headquarters campus in Binhaiwan Bay Area, Dongguan, China, following an investment exceeding CNY10 billion (approx. US$1.41 billion). The 930,000-square-meter facility began operations in October 2024 and currently accommodates several thousand employees, with expectations to expand the workforce to over 10,000 by 2026.