Semiconductor materials supply shifts to risk sourcing under price and geopolitical pressure

In 2026, critical semiconductor materials face a perfect storm of rising prices, shortages, and geopolitical disruption. Lead times for multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs) and power devices are stretching, while helium supply risks from Qatar are mounting. Topco Scientific CTO Tina Ding says companies must sharpen capabilities in long-term contract locking, flexible pricing negotiations, strategic stockpiling, and risk-based sourcing — all while tracking costs in real time and staying in close step with customers.

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Analysis: Amazon’s 11-year chip journey crowns Anthropic and OpenAI as top Trainium customers

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy declared in his latest shareholder letter that the company’s self-developed chip business is booming, surpassing US$15 billion in annualized AI revenue through AWS — a significant milestone for chip efforts that have quietly evolved over 11 years, beginning with the acquisition of Israeli startup Annapurna Labs in 2015.

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Samsung’s HBM4 yield improves, 4nm PMBIST upgrade receives praise from Nvidia

Samsung Electronics is accelerating its catch-up in the high-bandwidth memory (HBM) market against leader SK Hynix by advancing its sixth-generation HBM4. A key factor is Samsung’s upgrade from traditional MBIST to programmable PMBIST testing architecture built on cutting-edge 4nm process technology, significantly enhancing production yield and efficiency.

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Beyond the workhorse: CMC maps AI, autonomy, and lifestyle as the new commercial vehicle agenda

The commercial vehicle sector is at an inflection point. As software-defined vehicles (SDVs) and autonomous driving reshape the global automotive industry, China Motor Corporation (CMC) Vice President Hung-ching Yang used a keynote address on April 16 to lay out a four-stage evolution of the sector. His message was clear: AI enablement, energy transition, and cybersecurity will define who leads the next generation of mobility.

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Foxconn Industrial Internet to mass-produce CPO all-optical switches in 3Q26 with over 10,000 units target

Brand Cheng, chairman of Foxconn Industrial Internet (FII), a cloud networking business under Foxconn, recently announced ongoing advancements in technologies, including co-packaged optics (CPOs), liquid cooling, power architectures, and PCB technology. Notably, FII completed prototype shipments of its CPO all-optical switch in the first quarter of 2026 and plans to begin mass production starting in the third quarter of 2026.

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Vivo boosts high-end lineup in Taiwan, aiming for 40% sales growth with new X300 series phones

Vivo unveiled its latest mobile lineup for Taiwan at its annual launch event on April 16, including the flagship X300 Ultra and X300 FE smartphones, alongside accessories such as teleconverter zoom lenses, the Watch GT 2 smartwatch, and the Buds Pro Bluetooth earphones. Yi-ting Chen, president of Vivo Taiwan, announced that preorders would open immediately after the launch, with the X300 Ultra set for official release at the end of April and the X300 FE planned for June. By expanding its product lineup and growing sales channels, Vivo is aiming for a 30-40% boost in growth momentum from the X300 series.

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Memory and raw materials’ increased prices weigh on smartphone panels in 2Q26

Entering the second quarter of 2026, the smartphone panel market continues to carry the weak momentum carried over from the first quarter of 2026. As memory prices rise further alongside escalating bulk raw material costs, brand vendors have adopted more conservative procurement strategies, further intensifying competition across the panel supply chain.

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