Memory costs have moved ahead of smartphone system-on-chip (SoC) costs, and Counterpoint Research said the shift was already reshaping handset pricing and demand. The research firm expects global smartphone SoC shipments to fall 14% in 2026, with the entry-level segment taking the biggest hit and declining by more than 30%.

Taiwanese electronics companies listed on the stock exchange posted a combined 33.7% increase in pre-tax profits for 2025, outpacing the 12.86% growth for all listed companies, while their employees saw an average pay rise of 10%. However, a survey conducted by the Directorate General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics has found signals of a pronounced K-shaped economy, as two-thirds of Taiwan’s salaried workers earn below the average wage.

Ennoconn Technologies’ public tender offer for its subsidiary Kontron AG closed after the offer period ended, but the final outcome still depends on a German foreign direct investment review. The company said 12,289,840 Kontron shares were tendered, representing about 19.5% of Kontron’s issued shares.