TrendForce’s latest “Quarterly Report on Developments in Global SSB Industry, 2Q26” reveals that the all-solid-state battery (ASSB) sector has reached an important stage of engineering validation in 2026. Companies including Toyota, Honda, Nissan, and Samsung SDI are slightly ahead in small-scale ASSB pilot production. Moreover, Japanese suppliers have already verified key automotive-grade performance metrics and are speeding up the assessment of ASSB modules for vehicle use.
TrendForce’s latest research into the satellite industry reveals that Starlink has recently deployed its first batch of V3 satellites. The new satellites, featuring a 2,048-element phased-array antenna and operating at a lower orbital altitude, deliver ultra-low-latency broadband connectivity and direct-to-cell (D2C) services.
TrendForce’s latest smartphone industry research reveals that escalating component costs—led by memory—are expected to significantly raise production expenses for Apple’s next iPhone 18 series. For the 256 GB model, the BOM cost is estimated to increase by about 38% YoY, making higher retail prices unavoidable. Apple may offset some of these costs by reducing gross margins to prevent weakening consumer demand, aiming to keep prices manageable, maintain shipment volumes, and grow market share.
According to recent media reports, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is drafting a proposal that would expand its Covered List to restrict imports of new-model optical transceivers manufactured in China. TrendForce notes that since the proposal has not yet been officially released, several key issues remain unclear, including the definition of “new models,” the criteria for determining “Chinese manufacturers” (e.g., company nationality, inclusion on the Covered List, or manufacturing location), and whether any transition period will be provided. Therefore, it is believed to be too early to interpret the proposal as a comprehensive ban on Chinese optical transceivers.
According to TrendForce's latest memory industry research, DRAM supply will remain tight through 2027, and uncertainty persists over memory suppliers' HBM4e validation timelines. Together, these constraints are prompting AI chip vendors to scale back the HBM configurations of their next-generation products.
