Global server market, 4Q 2024
Global server shipments performed better than expected in the fourth quarter of 2024 and will only decline mildly from a quarter ago in the first quarter of 2025.
04
Feb
04
Feb
China imposes tariffs on US goods, launches antitrust probe into Google
On February 1, 2025, the US government imposed a 10% tariff on all Chinese exports, citing fentanyl-related concerns. The new tariffs will take effect on February 4, escalating trade tensions between the world’s two largest economies.
04
Feb
Samsung optimistic for 2025 with launch of Galaxy S25
Samsung Electronics (Samsung) has made pre-ordering for the Galaxy S25 series available in Taiwan. According to Jacob Chen, president of Samsung Taiwan’s Mobile Communications Division, the Galaxy S25 is expected to achieve a 20% increase in overall sales and an over 25% increase in revenue compared to the Galaxy S24, driven by advancements in generative AI (GenAI) and enhanced marketing strategies.
04
Feb
Shein returns to India in partnership with Reliance under market-for-technology
Shein, the Chinese fast-fashion company, has returned to India nearly five years after a ban, partnering with Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Retail, highlighting India’s adoption of a market-for-technology approach similar to China’s.
04
Feb
Samsung bets on Galaxy S25 launch after weak mobile earnings
Samsung Electronics reported disappointing fourth-quarter 2024 results for its Mobile Experience (MX) and Network (NW) divisions, as new product sales failed to meet expectations. The South Korean tech giant plans to unveil the Galaxy S25 series on February 7, 2025, hoping to reverse the downward trend, according to local media reports.
04
Feb
TikTok to invest US$3.8 billion in Thai data center
ByteDance’s TikTok plans to invest THB126.8 billion (US$3.76 billion) in a Thai data hosting service, marking a major expansion in Southeast Asia. Thailand is emerging as a digital hub, attracting tech giants like Google, AWS, and Microsoft despite workforce challenges.
04
Feb
Samsung DS faces challenges, with hope to recover in 2Q25
Samsung Electronics’ Device Solutions (DS) division has reported weaker-than-expected earnings for the fourth quarter of 2024, grappling with a series of challenges that have raised concerns within the semiconductor industry. Experts point to five major obstacles currently facing Samsung’s semiconductor business: falling prices for general-purpose DRAM, delays in HBM deliveries, slowing demand for enterprise solid-state drives (eSSDs), widening losses in its foundry business, and escalating tensions between the US-China conflicts that may be difficult to resolve in the short term.
04
Feb
Nvidia faces challenges as DeepSeek disrupts AI market ahead of 1Q25 earnings
Nvidia’s stock value has declined sharply in recent days following the emergence of Chinese AI startup DeepSeek, resulting in a substantial decrease in its market capitalization. However, semiconductor industry insiders suggest that DeepSeek could accelerate the adoption of AI technologies, potentially benefiting Nvidia’s AI chip shipments.
04
Feb
South Korean industry skeptical of DeepSeek’s AI cost claims
DeepSeek, a Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) startup, has stirred industry discussion with the announcement of its new “high-efficiency AI” model. The company claims this new model delivers performance comparable to ChatGPT at a dramatically lower cost—generating significant interest across the industry. According to DeepSeek, the breakthrough stems from substantially reduced training costs, a development that could reshape the AI landscape. However, industry experts remain cautious, emphasizing that further validation is needed before drawing any conclusions.
04
Feb
Where do Nvidia and TSMC fit in Trump’s ‘Made in America’ vision?
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, who was notably absent from Donald Trump’s inauguration, visited the White House on January 31, 2025, for a meeting with the US president. According to The Financial Times (FT), Tesla CEO Elon Musk, currently an advisor to Trump, made an unexpected last-minute appearance and joined the discussion.