Semiconductor Industry Weekly Roundup (April 21-26, 2026)

1. Upstream Industry Dynamics

• Samsung Halts Production of LPDDR4/LPDDR4X Memory
  Samsung Electronics has officially stopped accepting new orders for LPDDR4 and LPDDR4X mobile DRAM, marking these mainstream memory products as entering the End-of-Life (EOL) phase. The company will fulfill only pre-booked shipments, with production slated to continue until the end of 2026.
• UMC to Raise Wafer Foundry Prices in H2 2026
  United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC) announced plans to adjust wafer foundry service prices in the second half of 2026. Rising costs in capital investment, raw materials, energy, and logistics-coupled with long-term partnership considerations-will drive this price revision.
• Jetway Micro to Increase IGBT Product Prices from May
  Jetway Micro has initiated price hikes for key power products. Specifically, Insulated-Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT) prices will rise by 10%–20% starting May 1, 2026, driven by sustained high raw material costs.
• Wuhan Xinyuan Semiconductor Announces Price Hike
  On April 21, Wuhan Xinyuan Semiconductor issued a price adjustment notice: from May 6, 2026, all self-developed MCU and related chip products will adopt a new pricing system. Existing product prices will be reconfirmed, with details communicated individually by sales and channel teams.
• Onsemi (ST) Raises Precision Resistor Prices
  ON Semiconductor (affiliated with SAIC Motor) notified distributors of a 20%–30% price increase for high-precision metal plate resistors (including LRx, LM series, and specific sizes). The new prices took effect immediately upon notice.
• Samsung & SK Hynix Simultaneously Raise SSD Prices
  Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix have notified channel partners of price increases for their SSD product lines. This marks the second round of price hikes in April 2026. Earlier in the month, Samsung had already raised prices for select high-end M.2 SSDs by nearly double, with some 8TB flagship models exceeding $4,000.

2. Corporate Performance & Milestones

• Texas Instruments (TI) Q1 2026 Revenue Grows 19% YoY
  TI announced Q1 2026 revenue of $4.825 billion (up 19% year-over-year) and net income of $1.545 billion (up 31% YoY). Key drivers included analog business revenue ($3.924 billion, +22% YoY) and embedded processing revenue ($723 million, +12% YoY), with data center revenue surging 90%.
• STMicroelectronics (ST) Q1 2026 Revenue Rises 23.0% YoY
  ST reported Q1 2026 revenue of $3.095 billion (+23.0% YoY), with a gross margin of 33.8% (+0.4 percentage points). Net income was $37 million (-34% YoY). The Analog, Power & Sensors (APMS) segment generated $1.707 billion (+16.4% YoY), while the Microcontrollers, Digital ICs & RF (MDRF) segment contributed $1.384 billion (+32.1% YoY).
• SK Hynix Achieves Record-High Q1 2026 Results
  SK Hynix posted Q1 2026 revenue of 52.58 trillion KRW (+198% YoY), operating profit of 37.61 trillion KRW (+405% YoY), and net income of 40.35 trillion KRW (+398% YoY). Growth was fueled by strong demand for High-Bandwidth Memory (HBM), large-capacity server DRAM modules, and enterprise-class SSDs.
• Intel's Q1 2026 Earnings Exceed Expectations
  Intel reported Q1 2026 revenue of $13.6 billion (+7% YoY), marking its sixth consecutive quarter of beating expectations. GAAP net loss was $3.7 billion, while non-GAAP net income reached $1.5 billion. Client Computing revenue was $7.7 billion (+1% YoY), Data Center & AI revenue hit $5.1 billion (+22% YoY), and代工 (foundry) revenue grew 16% YoY.
• ROHM Completes 5th-Gen SiC MOSFET Development
  Japanese semiconductor manufacturer ROHM announced the development of its next-generation EcoSiC 5th-Gen SiC MOSFET, optimized for xEV (electric vehicle) traction inverters, AI server power supplies, and industrial equipment.
• Powerchip & Micron Collaborate on 1P Process DRAM
  Powerchip Technology and Micron Technology launched a joint R&D project for 1P-process DRAM. Key milestones include:
  • 2027 Q1: Equipment installation
  • 2028 H1: Trial production
  • 2028 H2: Mass production
    Separately, Powerchip's backend wafer manufacturing (PFW) business is scheduled for:
  • 2026 Q3: Equipment installation
  • 2026 Q4: Trial production
  • 2027 Q4: Mass production (target: 20,000 wafers/month).
• Southchip Launches 48V Automotive DC-DC Chip
  Southchip Technology unveiled the SC8708Q/SC8709Q, a high-performance buck-boost DC-DC chip for 48V automotive systems. Certified to AEC-Q100, it supports 80V/60V input and enables bidirectional high-efficiency power conversion for EV 48V architecture upgrades.
• SmartSens Unveils 200MP CMOS Image Sensor
  SmartSens introduced the SCC90XS, a 200MP ultra-high dynamic range (HDR) smartphone image sensor. With 0.61μm pixel size and in-sensor 2x/4x zoom, it delivers optical-grade clarity for flagship smartphones.

3. Data & Market Outlook

• IC Insights: Top 10 Semiconductor Equipment Makers Hit $130B in 2025
  IC Insights reported that the top 10 global semiconductor equipment manufacturers generated over $130 billion in revenue in 2025 (+16% YoY). ASML (Netherlands) led with $37.2 billion, followed by Applied Materials (USA, $27 billion), Lam Research (USA), Tokyo Electron (Japan), and KLA (USA).
• Counterpoint: China's Smartphone Shipments Dip 4% in Q1 2026
  Counterpoint Research noted a 4% year-over-year decline in China's smartphone shipments during Q1 2026, driven by supply chain disruptions and rising memory prices. However, Huawei (+2%) and Apple (+20%) bucked the trend with positive growth.