Taiwanese Manufacturers to Ride on Apple's iPhone Booms

With the features of wireless charging, face recognition, augmented reality, and fingerprint recognition, Apple's newest version of iPhones, including iPhone 8, iPhone 8 plus, and iPhone X, are expected to grant Taiwanese manufacturing companies new business opportunities in the short term.

Since Samsung, the South Korean multinational conglomerate headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul built wireless charging systems into its high-end smartphone, S6, such technology has been so sought-after that Apple is believed to apply it in its new iPhones.

Thus, launch of Apple's iPhone 8, iPhone 8 plus and iPhone X, all supporting a wireless charging system, is obviously exciting news for wireless discharging suppliers in Taiwan, especially Media Tek, a Taiwanese fabless semiconductor company that provides system-on-chip solutions for wireless communications, and its subsidiaries namely Richtek, Generalplus, Holtek, and ENE tech.

Also notable is that iPhone X's new feature, Face ID, the face recognition technology that allows users to unlock the phone by simply glancing at it, is expected to benefit Taiwanese electronics solution providers, including TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company), a globally prestigious semiconductor maker, Largan Precision, one of world's most profitable lens manufacturers; and Hon-Hai, the world's largest EMS (electronic manufacturing service) provider by size.

Apple's latest version of iPhone is always seen as a market indicator. Although it is unlikely for Taiwan-based chip manufacturers to benefit from the latest iPhone launch since Apple's major chip suppliers have usually been IDT, an America-based semiconductor manufacturer, Taiwanese chip providers and other electronics makers still see potential business opportunities as other smartphone manufacturers are likely to adopt such specifications and place considerable orders to the abovementioned companies.