Semiconductors
Ongoing coverage on Semiconductors.
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'Our demand fulfillment rate is now at a record low' says Samsung as it makes its DRAM 90% more expensive than…
Samsung, the world's largest memory chip maker, is experiencing a record low demand fulfillment rate for DRAM. Despite this, the company has increased its DRAM prices by approximately 90% quarter-over-quarter, significantly boosting its profits. This surge in demand is largely attributed to the vast appetite of the AI industry for memory chips.
Samsung says there are 'no supply chain issues to date' from war in the Middle East but the company is making…
Samsung is experiencing supply chain challenges due to conflicts in the Middle East, primarily impacting oil prices and consequently increasing global ocean and air freight costs. The company is actively monitoring inventory and optimizing operations, exploring alternative transportation and long-term contracts to mitigate these rising logistics expenses and maintain cost competitiveness.
Intel (INTC) shares hit all-time high as Q1 2026 earnings results beat revenue and EPS expectations
Intel shares reached an all-time high following the announcement of its Q1 2026 earnings, which surpassed revenue and earnings per share expectations. The government-backed chip company is experiencing a significant resurgence.
Evening Tech Bits
Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger expressed his view that Elon Musk would be an ideal partner for exploring unconventional methods to enhance chip manufacturing processes. The article also touches upon advancements in carbon nanotube wiring for potential use in semiconductors.
'Many employees are leaving for SK hynix': 40,000 Samsung workers are marching outside its factories to…
Tens of thousands of Samsung workers in South Korea are protesting outside factories, demanding a 7% increase in base salaries and 15% of annual operating profit as bonus pay. Employees are reportedly leaving for SK hynix due to a perceived compensation gap. Samsung has stated it will make efforts to reach an agreement, with a planned 18-day strike set to begin on May 21 if demands are not met.
PS6 release date rumors are spiralling, but it looks like things could kick off in 2028
Rumors surrounding the PlayStation 6 release date suggest a potential launch in late 2028, influenced by the ongoing memory crisis and rising component costs. While some leakers point to a holiday 2027 window, reports from sources like Bloomberg and Microsoft's own filings indicate a later debut. Sony may absorb increased costs or delay the launch to 2028 or 2029 to ensure market position.
Anker's 'Thus' chip brings AI to its headphones and other products
Anker has unveiled its proprietary 'Thus' chip, designed to integrate Artificial Intelligence capabilities directly into wearable devices like headphones. This Compute-in-Memory (CIM) AI audio chip utilizes neural networks and runs AI functions locally, promising enhanced features such as advanced noise cancellation for calls. Anker plans to deploy the Thus chip in other mobile accessories and IoT devices following its debut on a new headphone model.
It's not just Intel that investors are loving right now: At over $450 billion, AMD's market cap is the highest…
AMD's market capitalization has reached its highest point since going public, surpassing $450 billion. This surge is attributed to the company's strong position in producing accelerators for AI data centers, with investors seeing significant potential in the AI market alongside competitors like Intel and Nvidia.
A $3 billion infringement suit against Intel has opened up once more due to a US appeals court decision
A US appeals court has reopened a $3 billion patent infringement lawsuit filed by VLSI against Intel. The case, which has spanned nearly a decade, concerns patent 8,566,836 related to multicore processor task execution. This decision does not prove wrongdoing but allows VLSI to pursue its case against Intel again.
TSMC's latest bank report is exactly as you'd expect it to be: mo' wafers, mo' money
TSMC has reported record-breaking net revenue of $35.90 billion for the first quarter, surpassing its own projections. The company attributes this success to extremely robust demand for AI-related chips, with 3-nanometre wafers accounting for 25% of total wafer revenue. Despite ongoing global demand, TSMC's manufacturing capacity is reportedly booked until 2028, suggesting continued high consumer pricing.
MediaTek is 'cautiously optimistic' that discrete memory pricing will look less gloomy during 2026
MediaTek is cautiously optimistic that discrete memory pricing will improve in the second half of 2026, despite current challenges driven by AI demand. The semiconductor company, which saw significant revenue growth in 2025, acknowledges pricing difficulties but expects a slowdown in consumer price increases later in the year. While capacity agreements are in place, future supply constraints from manufacturers like TSMC remain a concern.
Normal memory chips couldn't withstand the hellscape of Venus so scientists have crafted something that can
Researchers at USC Viterbi School of Engineering have developed a graphene tungsten memristor capable of operating reliably at temperatures up to 700°C, far exceeding the capabilities of traditional silicon-based memory. This breakthrough, detailed in the journal Science, could have significant applications in space exploration and AI workloads due to its high-temperature resilience and efficiency in matrix multiplication.
Nvidia denies report that it is in talks to acquire a major PC company but Dell, HP, Lenovo and Asus share prices jumped…
Nvidia has denied reports that it is in talks to acquire a major PC company, refuting claims made by SemiAccurate. Despite the denial, share prices for HP, Dell, Asus, and Lenovo saw a notable increase following the initial report. Nvidia has recently focused on its datacenter and client computing divisions, developing new chips and collaborating with Intel.
Morning Tech Bits
The article raises five key questions regarding Elon Musk's reported chip manufacturing partnership with Intel, exploring potential implications for both companies and the semiconductor industry. It also briefly mentions an update to Evernote's desktop application.
Dell's CEO reckons that the total memory demand from the entire AI market in 2028 will be 625x bigger than it was…
Dell's CEO Michael Dell predicts that the total memory demand for the AI market will increase by approximately 625 times by 2028. This surge is driven by expanding memory per accelerator and system scale in AI infrastructure. The article highlights that current memory manufacturers like SK hynix, Samsung, and Micron may struggle to meet this future demand, potentially impacting the availability and cost of components like HBM4, LPDDR5x, and NAND flash storage.
Evening Tech Bits
Microsoft is phasing out the Control Panel in Windows, directing users towards the modern Settings app. Meanwhile, Samsung is experiencing a significant profit increase, estimated at over eight times last year's figures, driven by the current memory chip market conditions.
Apple turns 50 today: here's what it does better than PC (no foolin')
Apple celebrates its 50th anniversary, highlighting its strengths in silicon design and integrated hardware-software ecosystems, particularly with its M-series chips. While PC gaming remains a weak point, advancements in Arm architecture and translation layers suggest a growing potential for gaming on Apple devices.
PS5 Pro Could Hit €900 as Sony Faces Memory Shortage Crisis
New rumors suggest that Sony may increase the prices of its PlayStation 5 consoles, including the PS5 Pro, due to a global memory shortage. The PS5 Pro could reportedly retail for €900, with the PS5 Slim potentially reaching €650. These price hikes are attributed to rising component costs and supply chain issues affecting the semiconductor industry.
Morning Tech Bits
AMD has announced the Ryzen 9 9950X3D2 Dual Edition Processor. Separately, a report from Bloomberg indicates a deepening chip selloff following Google's announcement of a memory breakthrough.
AI Yi-Yi!
The potential deal between Disney and OpenAI has reportedly fallen through, highlighting Hollywood's susceptibility to major technology companies. In separate news, Intel has officially launched its Xeon 600 chips and announced new vPro Panther Lake CPUs, signaling a strong focus on its vPro platform.