Analysis: China’s chip price spiral has begun; a grey rhino threatening the 2026 supply chain

China’s semiconductor supply chain is sending a clear signal: a wave of “chip inflation” driven by mature-node manufacturing, memory, and packaging costs is no longer theoretical; it is becoming a structural reality. Following Cmsemicon’s decision to raise prices on MCU and NOR Flash products by 15% to 50%, long-stable commodity chips have officially entered an inflation cycle.

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Alibaba’s new AI chip challenges Nvidia from A800 to A100-class performance

Alibaba has unveiled its in-house high-end AI processor, Zhenwu 810E, advancing its strategy to vertically integrate AI chips, cloud infrastructure, and large language models. Developed by T-Head Semiconductor, the processor appeared on Alibaba’s website on January 29, 2026, following an earlier mention on CCTV News, highlighting Alibaba’s vertically integrated AI supercomputing framework that combines in-house chips, Alibaba Cloud’s computing platform, and the open-source Qwen large language models from Tongyi Lab.

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Earnings call summary: Samsung 4Q25 profit jumps as AI memory crunch pressures phones and displays

Samsung Electronics reported record quarterly revenue and operating profit in the fourth quarter of 2025, as surging memory prices and tight supply, driven by the artificial intelligence boom, more than offset seasonal weakness in smartphones, televisions, and home appliances. The company also warned that an acute chip shortage is expected to persist, creating cost pressures for its mobile and display businesses.

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Taiwan tops auto display revenue while China dominates volume

China’s LCD panel industry leads globally across major applications, pushing many Japanese and South Korean suppliers out of the market. In automotive displays, Chinese manufacturers still dominate shipment volumes, but Taiwan’s two largest panel makers hold the top two positions by revenue through integrated solution strategies. Automotive display revenue for both is projected to continue rising through 2026, with a combined target of NT$100 billion (US$3.2 billion).

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IPC cost and memory supply pressures accelerate product upgrades

The surge in AI demand is driving massive memory consumption, pushing the memory industry into a bullish phase. Market consensus expects tight memory supply and demand conditions to ease only by 2028. This shift is impacting industrial PC (IPC) manufacturers not just through short-term inventory fluctuations but evolving into mid- to long-term structural changes. IPC players are now comprehensively adjusting pricing mechanisms, product platforms, and procurement strategies to adapt to this new environment.

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