SK hynix published a technology roadmap for co-packaged optics (CPO) in Nature Electronics, emphasizing the shift in AI competition towards system-level integration.
Samsung Electronics fully repaid a KRW20 trillion unsecured loan from Samsung Display in Q2 2026 ahead of schedule. This move was driven by AI-related demand lifting memory prices and strengthening the company's cash position.
Norwegian supplier Confidee reports standard FR-4 and copper-clad laminate shortages spreading from advanced materials, with lead times extending and pricing volatile through 2027.
CACI International opened a 61,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Rochester, NY, increasing its defence electronics capacity by 300%. This facility serves as the primary production hub for electronic warfare systems for the US Army. The expansion indicates a strategic move to secure supply for defence electronics components.
Cerebras Systems launched the CS-4 AI accelerator, achieving up to 30x faster performance than GPU solutions. Built on three WSE-3 Turbo chips, it delivers 750 PFLOPs of compute and 10x throughput per watt. Bullish: The launch signals a significant competitive threat to incumbent GPU providers in the AI inference market.
Pixus Technologies has released the MIL Rugged N310 Software Defined Radio (SDR) with an extended temperature range of -40°C to +71°C. Based on the Ettus USRP family, the unit features external MIL-grade cooling and heating options. Neutral: This is a new product launch with no immediate impact on supply or pricing.
Top five NAND brands reported a 77% QoQ revenue surge to $68.87B, driven by AI server demand and ASP increases. Despite weak PC demand, continued price hikes and prioritized DRAM/HBM investment suggest sustained price support in Q3.
Samsung Foundry delays 1.4nm mass production to 2029, sticking with 2nm for three years. TSMC plans 1.6nm A16 mass production in H2 2026, while Samsung delays High-NA EUV adoption. Neutral. This is a roadmap adjustment with no immediate impact on spot prices.
Samsung Display plans to expand OLED production capacity in Asan (Plant 2) starting 2027, targeting completion in early 2028, driven by foldable demand and Apple's rumored entry. Concurrently, rising memory costs are expected to keep mobile manufacturing expenses elevated in 2H26.
PC Partner Group reported a 18.4% drop in GPU shipments and a 10.7% rise in ASP for H1 2026, warning of substantial cost increases in H2. Entry-level GPUs face severe shortages due to graphics memory constraints, while KTC and AOC also cite rising panel and component costs for price hikes.
Yole Group forecasts the xEV power device market to reach $14.5 billion by 2031, recovering from a 2024-2025 slowdown. The report projects xEV production will account for 70% of global light vehicle production by 2031. Bullish: The 14% CAGR indicates strong future demand for power electronics.
Phison CEO Pua Khein-Seng predicts NAND Flash supply tightness will persist for years due to AI demand, with 2027 capacity constraints expected to be more severe than 2026, leaving room for further price gains. Bullish: Supply shortage and price increase potential.
Samsung Electronics' sales to China and the US surpassed the US in the first half of 2026, driven by an AI-driven memory upcycle. Despite strong ties with Nvidia in HBM, Nvidia is not among the top five customers. Bullish signal indicating robust demand for AI memory.
Samsung and SK Hynix are waging a hiring war for HBM4 talent, exacerbating South Korea's semiconductor design talent shortage by poaching key engineers from fabless companies, despite tighter restrictions complicating movement between the giants.
SK hynix lacks replacement units for defective SSDs and offers refunds based on original purchase prices, which is insufficient given current market prices have doubled. This highlights the severity of the storage shortage and the specific terms of SK hynix's warranty policy. Bullish: SSD spot prices continue to rise as supply shortages intensify.
Ukrainian intelligence discovered an Nvidia Jetson Orin NX 16GB (TE980M-A1) in a Russian missile, bypassing sanctions. Impact: Neutral for component pricing; highlights secondary market loopholes in export controls.
Researchers from TSMC and National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University engineered a 0.42-nanometer aluminum-oxide interface for monolayer MoS₂ transistors, enabling strong gate control. This breakthrough addresses interface defects in 2D semiconductors but has no immediate impact on current trading prices or supply chains.
Samsung's HBM4 yield reportedly hit 80%, and it is considering shifting NRD-K Line 2 to foundry use for 2nm HBM base dies to meet future NVIDIA demand. This indicates capacity expansion and supply increase, which will likely exert downward pressure on HBM spot prices.
NoMIS Power demonstrated a 6.5 kV SiC MOSFET with >8 kV blocking voltage and 90 mΩ Rds(on), currently in sampling. Mass production is scheduled for Q4 2026, extending their roadmap to 10 kV+ devices.
Delta Electronics and Lite-On Technology are increasing capital expenditure to 9% of revenue to meet the surging demand for power and cooling solutions in AI data centers. Chipmakers like Nvidia and AMD are refreshing platforms annually, driving up power density and thermal requirements. This capacity expansion is necessary to avoid missing design cycles amid intense competition.
Whose chips are really inside the hottest new products? We open them up and show you, one part at a time.
iPhone DuoFirst-pass chip map: 12 modules, 37 checkable identifiers (31 A / 6 B) and 19 public MPNs (16 externally searchable); A20 Pro, C2, N1 and the power/RF chains are located, while the NAND brand stays unconfirmed.All teardowns| Analog | $0.68 | −5.9% |
|---|---|---|
| Connector | $0.75 | +0.2% |
| CPU | $386.74 | −21.3% |
| DDR4 | $88.40 | −0.2% |
| DDR52026-W13 | $14.89 | −11.2% |
| GPU | $478.20 | +8.2% |
| MCU | $0.68 | −61.7%Unusual |
| MLCC | $0.01 | +54.0%Unusual |
| MOSFET | $0.12 | −82.8%Unusual |
| PMIC2026-W13 | $0.44 | −12.5% |
| SSD/HDD | $288.43 | n/a |