Electronics

South Korean electronics maker LG looks set to pull out of the smartphone business, a development that sent its share price price soaring. (Screenshot from LG YouTube page) 
Technology

LG's smartphone exit signs welcomed by investors and analysts

Shares soar 25% in two days as company weighs 'all options' for loss-making unit

21 January 2021
Technicians test a 5G base station near the Yellow River in Lanzhou, China. Sumitomo Electric hopes to reduce its reliance on Huawei, its main customer for chips used in base stations.
Electronics

5G chipmaker Sumitomo Electric hedges bet on top client Huawei

Japanese supplier eyes Ericsson and other base station makers

21 January 2021
The jailing of Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong leaves a power vacuum at South Korea's biggest conglomerate.
Companies

Samsung tycoon Lee sent to jail: Five things to know

De facto leader of powerful tech giant has received a 30-month sentence

19 January 2021
Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong arrives at court in Seoul on Jan. 18 where he was sentenced to two and a half years in prison for bribery. 
Companies

Samsung's Lee sentenced to two and half years in jail

Vice chairman returns to prison for bribery case related to ex-President Park

18 January 2021
Institutional and foreign investors are buying semiconductor-related stocks, believing demand will remain strong for some time to come, according to one analyst. (Source photo by Kosuke Imamura) 
Market Spotlight

Investors rush into semiconductor stocks amid global chip crunch

South Korea and Taiwan indexes soar while Japan's Nikkei hits 30-year high

18 January 2021
With nearly one in three new cars sold in 2025 expected to be electrified, manufacturers of electronic components are investing heavily to meet the expected demand.
Electronics

TDK eyes $5bn push into electric vehicle batteries and clean energy

Rohm and other electronic parts makers jump on EV supply chain bandwagon

16 January 2021
TSMC will spend $25 billion to $28 billion on plants and equipment this year, around 80% of which will go to the company’s three most advanced chip production technologies. (Photo by Akira Kodaka)
Semiconductors

TSMC hikes capex to record $28bn as chip race heats up

Taiwanese titan logs highest revenue in 2020 and says 5G will fuel further growth

14 January 2021
Daikin wants to standardize core components for its air-conditioning units, just like how automakers use shared platforms across multiple models. (Photo by Kosuke Toshi)
Companies

Daikin goes all in on standard AC parts with eye to low-cost China rivals

Manufacturer takes page out of auto industry playbook to halve development time

14 January 2021
Panasonic and Tesla are working to eliminate expensive cobalt from EV batteries, which account for 30% to 40% of the cost of the cars. (Source photos by Itsuro Fujino and EPA/Jiji) 
CES 2021

Cheaper Tesla? Panasonic to develop cobalt-free battery

Japanese electronics giant expects to start production in two to three years

13 January 2021
Advanced Micro Devices CEO Lisa Su touts the U.S. chipmaker's new products at the CES 2021 event on Jan. 13. (Screenshot courtesy of AMD)
CES 2021

AMD unwraps new server chips in latest grab for Intel business

Move follows bigger rival's new CPUs and steps to overcome production delays

13 January 2021
Sony says Airpeak's flight-stabilizing tech and image-steadying AI can deliver high-quality video that moviemakers will covet. (Photo courtesy of the company).
CES 2021

Sony unveils high-tech filmmaking drone amid DJI blacklist

Electronics-to-entertainment conglomerate readies Airpeak for spring launch

12 January 2021
LG unveiled the world’s first rollable smartphone at the CES, following success of Samsung Electronics’ foldable smartphones. (Screenshot from LG's YouTube page) 
CES 2021

LG to release world's first rollable smartphone, developed with BOE

South Korean and Chinese companies collaborate to counter Samsung's foldable product

12 January 2021
Canon's head Fujio Mitarai says that future sales will be led by security cameras, medical equipment, OLED manufacturing devices and commercial printing. (Photo by Yuki Ogata)
Companies

Canon to focus on security cameras and medical gear: CEO Mitarai

New businesses aim to comprise over 40% of total revenue by 2025

9 January 2021
Samsung's ability to leverage its technological edge helps to maintain profit margins and generate cashflow for big investment plans. (Photo courtesy of the company)
Technology

Samsung to pour $30bn into booming chip business

Top memory maker seizes initiative in field growing amid pandemic

9 January 2021
Demand for 5G-ready iPhones helped raise Taiwan's exports to record levels in 2020.  (Photo by Yu Nakamura)
Economy

Taiwan exports still going strong after record-breaking year

Work-at-home demand driving orders for semiconductors

9 January 2021
Spy chips can be used to take control or cause malfunction in hardware in which they are embedded.
Technology

Toshiba's detector sniffs out spy chips lurking in hardware

Developed with Waseda University, tool can produce results in two weeks

7 January 2021
Samsung's Z Flip smartphone, shown during its February unveiling in San Francisco, has a large 6.7-inch screen that can fold small enough to fit comfortably in a pocket.
Electronics

Samsung's foldable smartphone wins 2020 Nikkei products award

Galaxy Z Flip opens new possibilities for mobile device designs and functions

4 January 2021
The International Space Station orbits the Earth 16 times every 24 hours. While on the dark side of the planet, it is powered by electricity stored in batteries collected from solar panels. (Courtesy of NASA)
Technology

Under the sea and in space, GS Yuasa batteries provide the power

Japanese maker focuses on high performance in extreme environments

3 January 2021
Murata opened an 18-story research complex that could house as many as 1,850 employees in Yokohama in December.
Interview

Japanese iPhone parts supplier Murata targets EV business

World's largest maker of capacitors invests in R&D complex to foster new pillar

30 December 2020
The market capitalization of Sea, a Singapore-based company that operates the e-commerce site Shopee, mainly in Southeast Asia, surged more than fivefold in 2020, driven by growing demand for online shopping under the COVID-19 pandemic. (Source photo courtesy of the company)
Market Spotlight

Sea and BYD biggest winners among major Asia stocks in 2020

TSMC joins global top 20 in market cap, as analysts say market rally still has legs

28 December 2020
A Tokyo electronics shop. LCD TVs are selling strongly on stay-at-home demand. (Photo by Kiu Sugano)
Commodities

Prices of BOE and LG Display LCD panels soar as consumers stay home

Cost of large panels for televisions has jumped 60% since spring amid pandemic

26 December 2020
An operator flies a drone as Chinese maker DJI holds a demonstration to display an app that tracks a drone's registration and owner in Montreal, Canada.
US-China tensions

US blacklists Chinese chip king SMIC and drone champion DJI

American tech won't be allowed to help Beijing's 'destabilizing military activities:' Ross

19 December 2020
Arcelik posted 5 billion euros ($6.1 billion) in consolidated revenue last year, with 22 factories in 8 countries. (Photo courtesy of Arcelik)
Interview

Turkey's Arcelik targets Asian growth with Hitachi deal

Appliance maker to invest in China and Thailand plants, CEO says

17 December 2020
SMIC is China's biggest contract chipmaker and a key part of Beijing's goal of building a domestic semiconductor ecoystem. (Photo courtesy of SMIC)
China tech

China's top chipmaker hires sought-after former TSMC executive

Industry veteran Chiang Shang-yi to guide SMIC through US sanctions

16 December 2020
A sales associate promotes Whoo products at a department store in Shanghai. Whoo was the top-selling Asian beauty brand in China's Singles Day sale this year.
Companies

LG Group's outsider CEOs turn fresh perspectives into profits

Career executives offer alternative path to success for South Korean companies

13 December 2020