Semiconductor News 20251013

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1. Tariffs on Rare Earths, a US-China Game of Chicken in APEC A “game of chicken” is being played across the APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) stage, with the United States exchanging tariffs in response to China’s latest rare earths export restrictions. Trade and technology friction between the U.S. and China has intensified again, with former President Trump indicating his intention to impose “100 percent additional tariffs” on Chinese goods, raising fears of an exchange of trade measures. This tension has led to the collapse of the traditional trade regime, and it has been suggested that ASEAN and the EU should be targeted as alternative markets. The Nikkei editorial warned the U.S. and China not to repeat the “folly of futile tariff wars.
2. TSMC May Be Banned from Selling Chips to the U.S. Due to China’s Latest “Rare Earth ” Export Restrictions , Disrupting the AI Industry The latest rare earth export control measures introduced by China could ban TSMC from selling chips to the U.S., which risks causing major disruption to the AI industry. This could cause a major disruption to the AI industry. Rare earths (REEs) are essential materials for semiconductor manufacturing, and the tightening of these regulations is a direct consequence of the technological friction between the U.S. and China. However, Taiwanese authorities insist that their country’s semiconductor plants are safe from this Chinese policy of tightening rare earth regulations. This issue is a key concern affecting the entire AI-related supply chain.
3. Apple Reportedly Preparing to Announce M5 iPad Pro, Vision Pro, and MacBook Pro Models This Week Apple is reportedly preparing to announce several new models with the M5 chip this week. Specifically, Apple is reportedly preparing to announce the M5 iPad Pro, Vision Pro, and MacBook Pro models. In this connection, the M5 iPad Pro has been temporarily listed on AT&T’s website, suggesting that it may be announced soon along with the new MacBook. This is a move that indicates that Apple is close to revamping its key product lineup, especially its high-performance mobile and computing devices.
4. Intel’s Panther CPU mobile lineup and 18A chip are among former CEO Pat Gelsinger’s final footsteps. A dream he could not complete but defined Intel’s next-generation mobile CPU lineup, “Panther Lake” and the cutting-edge “18A” chip process, are part of a dream defined by former CEO Pat Gelsinger and are considered part of his legacy.Panther Lake and 18A node development represents the execution of a long-standing roadmap and is a key element in Intel’s future competitiveness in the area of advanced manufacturing technologies and high-performance computing.
5. Apple Developing Custom H3 Chip and New AirPods, Could Arrive in 2026 Apple is reportedly developing a custom-designed H3 chip and new AirPods, and these new products could arrive as early as 2026. apple is developing its own chip technology, particularly custom silicon that improves wireless audio processing and device performance, and the H3 chip could be used to enhance the next generation of AirPods, particularly with built-in AI capabilities.
6. Advanced Packaging Drives Semiconductor Back-end Equipment Market Growth In the semiconductor back-end equipment market, Advanced Packaging (AP) technology is a major driver of growth. In support of this trend, Amkor Technology has broken ground on a new semiconductor advanced packaging and test campus in the U.S. state of Arizona. This move demonstrates that the growing demand for high-performance semiconductors, especially AI chips, is driving investment in advanced packaging technologies that go beyond traditional manufacturing processes.
7. Assets of semiconductor company under Wingtech frozen China’s Wingtech has announced that the semiconductor assets of its subsidiary, which boasts sales of 14.7 billion yuan, have been suddenly frozen, and that it is “adamantly opposed” to the move. The company blames this on an attempt by some foreign management at its subsidiary, Ansei Semiconductor (Nexperia), to effectively usurp its authority under the guise of “compliance. This incident has attracted industry attention as it suggests serious internal management layer conflicts and major asset troubles in the company’s semiconductor business.
8. Dimensity 9500 estimated to cost more than 50% less than Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 while using the same 3nm N3P process MediaTek’s next high-end chip, the Dimensity 9500, is estimated to cost more than 50% less than competitor Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 is estimated to cost more than 50% less than the competing Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. The cost advantage of the Dimensity 9500 is indicative of the intense price competition in the high-end mobile chip market and will be an important strategic factor for MediaTek as it seeks to expand its market share. This is an important strategic factor for MediaTek to expand its market share.
9. New Tensor G5 Chip in Google Pixel Reportedly flawed in the new Tensor G5 chip that will be included in Google Pixel, Tensor G5 is Google’s next-generation mobile processor and is expected to play an important role in improving the performance of Pixel devices, especially in enhancing AI functionality. However, the presence of the defect could affect the release schedule and performance of future Pixel devices, and its development status will be closely watched.
10. Apple Doubles Security Rewards to $2 Million Apple has doubled the maximum amount of security bounties in its product vulnerability discovery program to $2 million. In addition, the bounty could increase to a maximum of $5 million through a bonus program. This action demonstrates Apple’s commitment to cybersecurity and is intended to increase incentives for security researchers around the world to report potential critical bugs within Apple’s ecosystem.

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