Samsung Display (SDC) and China’s BOE are targeting Apple’s next-generation OLED device market through investments in 8.6-generation IT OLED production lines. However, South Korean market analysts predict that SDC will likely become the exclusive supplier of OLED panels for Apple’s MacBook series launching in 2026, citing BOE’s potential challenges in achieving satisfactory initial yield rates.

SMIC is advancing the second phase of its Beijing wafer fab, set to break ground in early 2025. The project, expected to be the city’s largest logic IC foundry, comes with a total investment of at least CNY50 billion (approx. US$6.86 billion).

South Korea has moved to shut down the artificial intelligence (AI) app DeepSeek, citing data privacy concerns tied to its links with Chinese tech giant ByteDance. The Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC) said the app would be removed from Google Play and Apple’s App Store at 6 pm local time on February 15, 2025.

Major Taiwanese printed circuit board (PCB) manufacturers are actively investing in setting up facilities in Southeast Asia due to the region’s geopolitical considerations, rising demand for servers, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence (AI), as well as investment incentives. Topoint Technology and Aurona, two providers of related consumables and equipment, are following suit, looking for fresh contracts as additional plants are anticipated to start production in 2025.