Intel and UMC officially announced their landmark collaboration on January 25, 2024, geared toward developing the 12-nanometer process. TrendForce believes that this partnership, which leverages UMC’s diversified technological services and Intel’s existing factory facilities for joint operation, not only aids Intel in transitioning from an IDM to a foundry business model but also brings a wealth of operational experience and enhances manufacturing flexibility.
TrendForce maintains a positive outlook on bio-sensing tech in the wearables market. Substantial growth is predicted, with the market value for bio-sensing in smartwatches and smart bands expected to reach US$422 million by 2028, growing a CAGR of 14.7% from 2023.
TrendForce’s latest analysis reveals that the downswing of DRAM contract prices, which had lasted for eight consecutive quarters since 4Q21, was finally reversed in 4Q23. Likewise, NAND Flash rebounded in 3Q23 after four quarters of decline. The persistence of this rally in memory prices during 2024 will largely hinge on suppliers’ ongoing and effective control over their capacity utilization rates.
As Apple prepares to open pre-orders for the Vision Pro, TrendForce reports that this device is a key strategic move by Apple to expand the virtual head-mounted device market and to mark its entry into the VR/AR market as a pioneer in technological innovation. If initial sales are strong, Vision Pro shipments could reach between 500–600 thousand units in 2024.
TrendForce anticipates 2024 to mark a significant expansion in edge AI applications, leveraging the groundwork laid by AI servers and branching into AI PCs and other terminal devices. The global AI server market—encompassing AI Training and AI Inference—is projected to exceed 1.6 million units, growing at an impressive rate of 40%. Additionally, CSPs are expected to ramp up their involvement in this sector.