China’s CXMT begins small-scale HBM3E production: report

Chinese memory chipmaker CXMT has begun producing HBM3E in small quantities and testing it with domestic AI chip developers, according to The Information on Monday. The step could increase competitive pressure on Samsung Electronics and SK hynix even as the Korean memory leaders remain ahead in cutting-edge HBM technology and mass production. Alibaba Group’s chip unit T-Head and Beijing-based Cambricon Technologies are testing CXMT’s high-bandwidth memory with their processors, The Information r

2026-09-01 15:10:26:00

CXMT announces LPDDR6 mass production ahead of Samsung, SK hynix

China’s CXMT has announced mass production of LPDDR6 memory for Xiaomi’s upcoming 18 Fold, moving ahead of Samsung Electronics and SK hynix in publicly confirming both production and a commercial handset deployment for the next-generation mobile DRAM. CXMT said Saturday that its LPDDR6 had “officially entered mass production” and would debut in the 18 Fold in September. Xiaomi founder and CEO Lei Jun separately confirmed that the company’s new Xring O3 processor would support CXMT’s LPDDR6 and t

2026-08-31 14:57:44:00

Two-term lawmaker Lee So-young tapped as SMEs minister

President Lee Jae Myung on Sunday nominated two-term Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Lee So-young as minister of SMEs and startups, ending a 61-day vacancy following Han Seong-sook’s departure to become prime minister. Presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik said Lee, 41, had built policy experience in startup support, small-business protection and innovation-led growth. She must undergo a National Assembly confirmation hearing before taking office. A former lawyer at Kim & Chang, Lee enter

2026-08-30 14:36:28:00

AI demand drives broader Samsung Electro-Mechanics MLCC price hikes

Samsung Electro-Mechanics is expected to extend price increases for multilayer ceramic capacitors to direct manufacturing customers in the fourth quarter, as strong AI-related demand absorbs production capacity and reduces supply of mainstream parts. Market researcher TrendForce said Thursday that the South Korean electronic components maker is expected to raise prices of consumer-grade X5R MLCCs by an average of 25 to 30 percent for OEM and ODM customers. Prices of higher-end X6S products used

2026-08-30 13:38:04:00

Why YMTC’s NAND rise matters for Samsung, SK hynix

Yangtze Memory Technologies, China’s largest maker of NAND flash memory, has crossed a threshold where Samsung Electronics and SK hynix can no longer dismiss it as a low-end challenger. YMTC filed on Aug. 21 for a Shanghai initial public offering that could raise about $4.9 billion, less than two weeks after Counterpoint Research put it at 14 percent of global NAND shipments in the second quarter, level with Japan’s Kioxia and behind only Samsung and the combined SK hynix-Solidigm group. China’s

2026-08-27 15:35:34:00

China's CXMT joins SK hynix in race to supply LPDDR6 to Xiaomi

China’s largest memory maker CXMT has emerged as a prospective LPDDR6 supplier for Xiaomi’s new Xring O3 processor, less than a month after SK hynix was reported as Xiaomi’s expected first supplier of the same next-generation mobile memory. The Beijing News reported Tuesday, citing supply-chain sources, that CXMT’s LPDDR6 “will be the first domestically produced memory to be paired with the Xring O3” and enter commercial use. LPDDR6 is the latest low-power DRAM standard for smartphones and other

2026-08-26 14:53:32:00

[Exclusive] Google builds Korea team for full-functioning Maps service

Google is stepping up preparations to expand Google Maps in South Korea by recruiting a senior partnerships manager, as the company says it is “officially launching full-functioning Google Maps capabilities” in the country. The Seoul-based Strategic Partnerships Development Manager will join Google’s Global Product Partnerships team and work with private companies, public entities and technology partners. The job posting says Google is “building a team” around what it describes as a “monumental,

2026-08-25 14:39:39:00

Samsung, SK hynix gain pricing power as Nvidia AI server prices rise

Samsung Electronics and SK hynix are gaining further bargaining power in the AI supply chain as rising memory costs feed into prices for Nvidia-based server systems. Bloomberg reported Saturday that server manufacturers had begun notifying major data center customers, including Microsoft, Google and Oracle, that prices for Nvidia-based AI systems would rise by more than 15 percent in many cases for shipments starting in early 2027. The increases will affect systems built on Nvidia's next-generat

2026-08-24 15:37:09:00

LG Display cuts cost burden as post-LCD restructuring shows results

LG Display returned to a first-half operating profit despite lower sales, as restructuring and a shift away from low-margin LCD panels reduced the share of revenue absorbed by production costs. The company posted 11.15 trillion won ($8.06 billion) in revenue for the first half of 2026, down 4.3 percent from a year earlier, according to its half-year regulatory filing last week. Cost of sales fell 7.5 percent to 9.62 trillion won. That brought the cost-of-sales ratio down to 86.3 percent from 89.

2026-08-21 14:36:43:00

Samsung consumer-device workers to rally as chip boom widens pay divide

A Samsung Electronics union representing mainly workers in the company’s consumer-device business is set to rally in Seoul on Friday afternoon over a widening compensation gap with its semiconductor division, as the AI-driven memory boom delivers record chip profits while raising costs for smartphones, TVs and appliances. The Donghaeng union, whose membership is concentrated in Samsung’s Device eXperience, or DX, division, plans to hold the rally at 3 p.m. near the company’s Seocho offices in so

2026-08-21 13:10:22:00