Ming-Chi Kuo

$Apple(AAPL.US) SDC‘s crease-free display solution for foldable iPhone: Fine M-Tec the leading winner. My latest industry survey indicates that Apple is expected to adopt SDC’s (Samsung Display) crease-f...

1. Assembly supplier Foxconn is expected to officially kick off the project in late 3Q25 or early 4Q25. As of now, many component specifications (including the hinge, which has drawn considerable mark...

This news doesn't surprise me. The report (https://news.mydrivers.com/1/1035/1035476.htm…) aligns perfectly with my previous analysis and projections (see link below), which indicated that Intel's 18A...

6 Investment Highlights for GTC 2025.

Three months ago, I predicted that mass production of the new display-equipped HomePod would slip from 1Q25 to 3Q25 (after WWDC) due to software development issues. Beyond Apple Intelligence, the issues also involve ensuring the HomePod’s interface aligns with new OS updates (like iOS 19) set to roll out across other devices in 2H25. This alignment is essential for seamlessly integrating new products into Apple’s ecosystem.$Apple(AAPL.US)

Since President Trump took office, the U.S. government has been actively brainstorming with industry players to save Intel (IFS). One idea is a TSMC-led JV running IFS, recently reported again. The problem is that this idea is still far off and challenging to pull off, so it’s not the main focus of current fundamental analysis. The buzz around these brainstorming talks has cooled off after TSMC announced its $100 billion U.S. investment plan earlier. Still, I believe if geopolitics shift big time or Intel’s 18A falls short, these brainstorming talks could heat up again.$Intel(INTC.US) $Taiwan Semiconductor(TSM.US)

My latest industry survey shows that Xiaomi’s upcoming flagship, the Xiaomi 16 Pro, set to launch in late 2025, is also adopting a metal mid-frame produced with Bright Laser Technologies (BLT)’s 3D printing technology. This points to an accelerating trend of using 3D printing for smartphone mid-frames. The advantage of producing smartphone mid-frames with 3D printing lies in its ability to leverage hollow designs, which reduce weight and enhance thermal performance without compromising structural strength. Production efficiency has historically been a hurdle for 3D printing, but as this bottleneck continues to ease, phone manufacturers will likely adopt the 3D printing once its benefits outweigh the costs, without requiring efficiency to match that of mainstream technologies. This shift echoes past innovations: before Apple pioneered CNC technology for making MacBook unibody metal casing, few believed such a process could scale to consumer electronics.$Xiaomi Corporation(XIACY.US)  $XIAOMI-W(01810.HK)

As the iPhone adopts Apple’s modem, the company has swapped traditional quartz crystal oscillators for SiTime’s MEMS oscillators. Here’s why:1.Before Apple acquired Intel’s modem business in 2019, tha...

Apple's C1 modem process technology:Baseband: 4/5nm (both technologies are similar) Low-frequency/Sub-6 TRx (Transceivers): 7nmIntermediate Frequency (IF) TRx: 7nmPMIC: 55nmThe C1 refreshed version is ...

My latest industry survey indicates that Bright Laser Technologies (BLT) is a leading supplier and key beneficiary in producing the foldable iPhone’s hinge cover and middle frame NPI, both crafted fro...

Market Positioning:1.A True AI-driven Phone. Multimodal functionality and cross-app integration are the trends in AI device use cases. Larger screens enhance the AI experience, enabling scenarios like...

$Intel(INTC.US)According to my latest industry survey of PC/NB vendors (brands, ODMs, and EMS), Intel has postponed the mass production timeline for Panther Lake (PTL) from early September 2025 to mid-Q...

$Taiwan Semiconductor(TSM.US)TSMC's newly announced US investment plan, unveiled on March 4, 2025, differs from the original by adding $100 billion, cutting one advanced-node fab, and including an extra advanced packa...

My understanding is that TSMC always takes a highly cautious approach to capacity expansion. Unless there's a dramatic industry reversal in the short term, it's not easy to see significant order reductions (variations in the low to mid-single digits are considered reasonable, as no one can predict future demand with pinpoint accuracy.) Last year, at the height of AI and Nvidia market optimism, Nvidia pushed TSMC to expand its monthly CoWoS capacity to 100,000 wafers—a request that TSMC rejected.

Incidentally, using this as an example, if outsiders had obtained Nvidia's optimistic request—a common practice when customers push for expansion during bullish markets—some market participants might overestimate TSMC's capacity or Nvidia's orders based on the leaked information, generating market chatter.$Taiwan Semiconductor(TSM.US) $NVIDIA(NVDA.US) 

https://longportapp.cn/zh-CN/topics/100000000012737?invite-code=

I conducted an industry survey on TSMC and Nvidia with the following takeaways: 1. TSMC's CoWoS expansion plan remains unchanged (gradually increasing quarter by quarter, targeting approximately 70,00...

The first Panther Lake engineering samples, made with Intel/IFS’s 18A, are currently being tested by major PC ODM/EMS makers. My early 2025 industry survey showed 18A yields below 20-30%, so there’s still a lot of room to step up—which doesn’t bode well for Intel’s goal of hitting mass production in 2H25. On top of the tech challenges, IFS faces a big obstacle in winning outside orders due to its org setup, supply chain mgt, and culture. That’s where TSMC totally stands out.$Palantir Tech(PLTR.US) $Taiwan Semiconductor(TSM.US) $Intel(INTC.US) $Intercorp Financial Services(IFS.US)

Trump's Public Statements Are Part of His Negotiation Tactics: Read Between the LinesRecently, U.S. President Trump has publicly stated his intent to impose higher tariffs on semiconductor exports fro...

Nvidia GB300 NVL72 may not use supercapacitors. My latest supply chain survey indicates that Nvidia has recently removed the supercapacitor shelves from its new GB300 NVL72 rack design due to technical and mass-production concerns. At present, Nvidia has not proposed a clear alternative. This change could alter the market’s expectations for supercapacitor supplier Musashi's future AI server business outlook.$NVIDIA(NVDA.US)

Apple is exploring both humanoid and non-humanoid robots for its future smart home ecosystem, and these products are still in the early proof-of-concept (POC) stage internally. While the industry deba...

Key Takeaways:Nvidia accelerates GB300 NVL72 development and plans to pull in DrMOS/SPS orders earlier, with a total of 2025 purchases expected to surpass 150M units. AOS confirmed as the primary DrMO...

TSMC and Nvidia expected that on-device AI would grow significantly in 2026. TSMC's earlier earnings call indicated that on-device AI trends would become prominent in 2026, while Nvidia planned to beg...

Apple Intelligence Isn't Significantly Boosting iPhone SalesThe US is currently the world's most representative market offering Apple Intelligence. Meanwhile, Japan, which hasn't yet rolled out Apple ...

The release of DeepSeek-R1 has brought two major AI industry trends into focus. Though these trends were already on the horizon, DeepSeek-R1 has sped up their development.Despite the diminishing retur...

$Taiwan Semiconductor(TSM.US) $Himax Tech(HIMX.US)I previously shared my prediction that Himax might be a potential supplier for TSMC.https://longportapp.cn/zh-CN/topics/26052416My latest supply chain survey indicates that ...

$NVIDIA(NVDA.US)$Taiwan Semiconductor(TSM.US)TSMC's excellent financial result supports the positive AI trend. However, concerns remain regarding the shipment of Nvidia's GB200 NVL72. It might seem co...