NIO is preparing to design phones that interact with its cars, and to implement those phones in-house. ASE hopes that its negotiations will yield an agreement to make 5G chips for iPhones. Taiwan foundries already produce 65% of the world's chips, but soon they might produce more than 70%.

NIO reportedly to make its own phones: China-based automaker NIO reportedly plans to make its own phones designed specifically to interact with its cars. Media reports from China pointed out that NIO will launch a cell phone business and that the project is currently in the initial research phase. They said NIO's mobile division has been very active recently and is recruiting more employees.

ASE eyeing backend orders for Apple-designed 5G modem chips: ASE Technology, which owns Advanced Semiconductor Engineering (ASE) and Siliconware Precision Industries (SPIL), is in preliminary talks with Apple for backend orders associated with the vendor's first self-designed 5G modem chips set for use in 2023 iPhone models, according to industry sources. Apple continues to advance its in-house chip design journey into radio frequency (RF) solutions including 5G modem chips and RF transceiver ICs, and plans to apply them to iPhones starting 2023 while sharply reducing supply of such chips from Qualcomm, the sources said.

Taiwan IC foundries to see combined market share top 70%: TSMC and its fellow Taiwan-based pure-play foundries are expected to see their combined global market share top 70%, when their additional fab capacities come online. TSMC alone has grabbed an about 55% share of the global foundry market. TSMC and other Taiwan-based pure-play foundries have collectively garnered around 65% of the world market.

By DIGITIMES