Semiconductor News 20251224

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1. Samsung secures more than 60% of DRAM supply for iPhone 17
   Samsung Electronics has reportedly received an order for more than 60% of the total DRAM supply for Apple’s upcoming iPhone 17 smartphone. This extends its advantage over competitors SK Hynix and Micron, and may solidify its favorable position in the subsequent iPhone 18. This suggests that the company’s technological competitiveness and supply capacity in the memory market is leading to a recovery of trust from its largest customer, Apple.
2. ByteDance to Increase AI Investment to $23 Billion in 2026 and Order H200
   ByteDance, the operator of TikTok, has reportedly increased its capital expenditures significantly to $23 billion in 2026, with an emphasis on procuring AI chips. The company plans to order an initial lot of 20,000 of Nvidia’s latest AI chip, the H200. Even as U.S. export restrictions continue, the Chinese tech giant is clearly committed to investing huge sums of money in building AI infrastructure and securing compute capacity.
3. Memory Surge May Cause Samsung and SK’s Profit Margins to Surpass TSMC
   It has been reported that Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix’s gross profit margins may surpass those of foundry champion TSMC in the fourth quarter of 2025 due to the rapid rise in memory prices HBM and DRAM due to the AI boom. The demand explosion has dramatically improved their profit structures. This has led major PC makers such as HP and Lenovo to visit their suppliers and scramble to secure memory inventories, fearing supply shortages.
4. With TSMC’s “N-2” rule, AMD and Google are interested in Samsung
   As TSMC maintains its “N-2” rule, which delays manufacturing technology at overseas factories from mainland Taiwan, U.S. companies such as AMD and Google, which are looking for cutting-edge chips, have been interested in other companies such as Samsung Electronics and Intel, or TSMC’s geopolitical constraints have become an opportunity for its competitors to gain customers, and the competition for orders for advanced processes is beginning to change.
5. Trump Administration Postpones Additional Tariffs on Chinese Semiconductors at “0%” in Real Terms
   The incoming Trump administration has set a new additional tariff rate of “0%” on Chinese-made semiconductors, effectively postponing tighter taxation. It is possible that the administration took into consideration the protests from industries in the U.S. and concerns about inflation. On the other hand, a proposal to raise tariffs from June 2027 has also been floated, and although the future of the U.S.-China trade friction remains uncertain, it is being perceived by the market as a signal of temporary easing of tensions.
6. Rapidus President Koike Unveils Giant 600mm-square Substrate and Talks 2039 Concept
   Rapidus President Koike of Japan showed off a giant 600mm-square glass and organic substrate package prototype at a press conference. This is a back-end technology to boost the performance of multiple 2nm generation chips. He also talked about the company’s long-term plan to build a factory by 2039, which showed the concrete image of Japan’s semiconductor strategy to compete with the rest of the world with total solutions that include packaging, not just foundry services.
7. TSMC ‘s Foundry Market Share Reaches 71% , Sharply Dominating the Leading Position
   TSMC’s share of the global foundry market reached 71% in the third quarter of 2025, according to a TrendForce study. overwhelming demand for AI and smartphone chips is supporting the company’s growth, further widening the gap between the second place TSMC’s growth has been supported by the overwhelming demand for chips for AI and smartphones, further widening the gap between the company and the second place finishers, such as Samsung Electronics. The extremely high reliance on TSMC for cutting-edge processes once again highlights the risk of supply chain concentration and the company’s indispensable position.
8. ROHM and Tata Electronics form alliance for semiconductor manufacturing in India
   ROHM of Japan and Tata Electronics of India have entered into a strategic partnership for semiconductor manufacturing. The partnership aims to promote cooperation in the manufacturing of power semiconductors and other products in India. The Indian government is strongly promoting the establishment of a semiconductor ecosystem, and this partnership will be an important stepping stone for Japanese companies to penetrate this growing market. Diversification of supply networks in the Global South is underway.
9. U.S . Investigates Large Southeast Asian Purchasers for Alleged Smuggling of Nvidia Chips
   The U.S. government has launched an investigation into large purchasers in the region for suspected illegal export of Nvidia AI chips to China via Southeast Asia. This is in response to the reality that Chinese companies are using “loopholes” utilizing third countries when it becomes difficult to obtain the chips through legitimate channels. This is an indication that the U.S. is expanding its surveillance to the entire global distribution network in order to increase the effectiveness of export controls on China.
10. China’ s Moore Threads Builds Ecosystem to Compete with Nvidia’s “CUDA ”
    Chinese GPU maker Moore Threads is focusing on building a developer ecosystem using its proprietary platform MUSA to compete with Nvidia’s dominant software foundation CUDA. The company is focusing on building a developer ecosystem using its proprietary platform, MUSA, to compete with Nvidia’s dominant software platform, CUDA. Although its market share is still small (less than 1%), it is attracting attention as a move toward technological independence within China. In addition to improving hardware performance, the development of the software environment is key to the survival of Chinese GPUs.

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