Samsung Electronics will debut its new 2nm Exynos 2600 processor in the Galaxy S26 series, but deployment may be largely limited to South Korea. Contractual ties with Qualcomm, production yield challenges, and consumer perceptions of Exynos performance could restrict the chip's broader adoption, potentially affecting Samsung's control over its flagship device supply chain.

Apple supplier Jahwa Electronics plans to expand its actuator factory in Gumi, South Korea, to meet rising demand for high-end folded-zoom actuators from Apple and other customers.

Samsung Electronics has unveiled its first tri-fold smartphone, the Galaxy Z TriFold, which will go on sale in South Korea starting December 12, 2025. The company plans to expand availability to Taiwan, the US, China, and Singapore by mid to late December.

Samsung Electronics is facing mounting challenges in the global smartphone market, with Apple poised to overtake the top spot in shipment volume in 2025 amid rising exchange rate pressures and soaring component costs. The company is expected to hold its biannual global strategy meetings this month, focusing on high-end product planning, drawing significant attention to its next moves.

India is reviewing a proposal that would require smartphone makers to keep satellite-assisted location tracking permanently enabled on all devices, triggering strong pushback from Apple, Google, and Samsung over privacy risks, Reuters reported. The debate follows the government's recent reversal of a controversial order mandating a state-run cyber safety app.

India backtracks on plan for pre-installation of security app after public pushback. Global AI firms are partnering with local giants for AI data centers in India.

China's BOE Technology has reportedly secured the largest share of display orders for Apple Inc.'s upcoming budget model, the iPhone 17e, even as South Korean rivals Samsung Display and LG Display maintain near-total dominance over the flagship iPhone 17 series, according to South Korean industry media.

At the DIGITIMES Tech Forum 2026, DIGITIMES senior analyst Luke Lin said the smartphone market, previously expected to rebound in 2026, is now projected to contract after a sharp jump in memory prices pushed supply-chain costs higher. Global smartphone shipment growth has been revised to negative 1.6%, with total volumes estimated at about 1.202 billion units.

India's government has decided not to make the pre-installation of its cybersecurity and safety app, Sanchar Saathi, mandatory on smartphones, following strong public uptake and pushback from the tech industry. The decision comes after the app saw a tenfold surge in downloads in a single day, reflecting growing citizen engagement with its features.

DIGITIMES' Tech Forum took place on December 3, 2025, with Quanta vice chairman C.C. Leung fully participating and closely following the pulse of the technology industry, particularly developments in the smart glasses sector.

AI glasses have become a new competitive front for global tech giants. Since 2025, China's smart-glasses sector has accelerated into what analysts describe as a "hundred-model race," with Alibaba, Baidu, Xiaomi, Huawei, RayNeo, Meizu, Inmo, and others rapidly launching products.

Apple does not plan to comply with an Indian government directive requiring smartphone makers to preload a state-developed cyber safety app, Reuters reported, citing industry sources familiar with the company's position.

Vivo has introduced its iQOO sub-brand to Taiwan with the launch of the iQOO 15, marking the brand's first official entry into the market. The company aims to use iQOO's gaming-centric identity to strengthen its overall smartphone momentum in Taiwan's competitive midrange segment.

Samsung Electronics announced its first triple-folding smartphone, the Galaxy Z TriFold, on December 2, 2025, marking the company's latest attempt to expand its foldable portfolio and differentiate its high-end devices in the AI-driven mobile market.

India has ordered smartphone makers to pre-install a state-owned cybersecurity app on all new devices and push it to existing phones via software updates. The move is already drawing industry pushback over privacy implications.

Samsung Electronics has promoted its Taiwan region president, Jun Yang, to an executive role following outstanding business performance. Samsung highlighted Yang's extensive experience since joining the company in 2001 and his key leadership roles across Greater China and Taiwan.

These are the most-read DIGITIMES Asia stories in the week of November 24 to November 30, 2025.

India aims to secure rare earth magnet supply amid Chinese dominance as firms from the country deepen ties with Korean giants.

Amid surging demand from artificial intelligence (AI) servers and high-end personal computers, prices of DRAM and LPDDR5 memory have soared, placing heavy cost pressures on budget smartphone makers worldwide. South Korean industry insiders warn that the "low-price strategy" that once fueled rapid expansion in the smartphone market may be losing its effectiveness.

Following disappointing sales of Apple's iPhone Air and tightening supply chains, major Chinese smartphone manufacturers have reportedly frozen or canceled their own "Air" ultra-thin phone projects. Industry sources cited by Sina Finance and Jiemian.com reveal that Xiaomi, Oppo, Vivo, and others have either scrapped or adjusted development plans for Air models, reallocating eSIM solutions originally intended for these devices to other standard product lines.

Chinese smartphone manufacturers are leading the race to increase battery capacity. Recent reports indicate that several Chinese smartphone makers are aiming to launch devices with ultra-large 10,000 milliampere-hour (mAh) batteries, which is roughly double the capacity found in flagship models from Samsung Electronics and Apple.

Apple's iPhone 17 series has seen strong sales momentum, lifting expectations for fourth-quarter smartphone demand in 2025. But market attention is shifting to whether Chinese brands like Huawei, Xiaomi, Vivo, and Oppo can collectively counter the iPhone 17's dominance in the mid-to-high-end smartphone segment by year-end.

Samsung Electronics has announced its 2026 senior executive promotions, marking a sharp departure from its five-year pattern of steadily reducing the number of high-level advancements. The company increased its total senior promotions to 161, up from 137 in the previous year, drawing widespread industry attention and signaling a strategic shift toward bolstering leadership in future growth sectors, according to ET News and Chosun Biz.

Huawei introduced its latest flagship lineup on the 25th, launching the Mate 80 series together with the Mate X7 foldable.