Chinese AI models are competitive with US counterparts, but hardware lags. While domestic chips are used for inference, pre-training still relies on foreign silicon. China is pushing for self-sufficiency in AI hardware across all development stages.
Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon revealed the company is developing over 40 AI wearable devices, signaling a shift beyond smartphones. New platforms, Snapdragon Reality Elite and START, aim to power advanced mixed reality and AI-ready devices, including smart glasses.
HIT researchers in China have developed a microwave plasma chemical vapour deposition (MPCVD) technology to grow high-purity, single crystal diamonds of any size. This breakthrough could provide China with an advantage in next-generation AI hardware due to diamonds' superior heat dissipation capabilities.
High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) has become the most critical component for AI hardware expansion, acting as a bottleneck for modern AI accelerators like those from Nvidia. The availability of HBM directly impacts the speed and performance of AI systems.
Demand for multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs) is surging due to the AI boom, with AI servers requiring significantly more MLCCs than traditional ones. Manufacturers are prioritizing high-end supply, leading to price increases.
The AI rally continues despite the Iran war impacting tech supply chains. Companies like TSMC and Foxconn warn of rising costs for materials, energy, and freight due to Middle East conflict and potential shortages of key components like helium.
The AI rally continues, but hardware makers like TSMC and Foxconn warn the Iran war is disrupting supply chains, increasing costs for materials like helium, and impacting profitability. Analysts predict prolonged negative effects.
The Mac mini went from a $599 desktop nobody cared about to the hottest piece of AI hardware on the planet. One open-source agent framework did it.
Era, an AI device orchestration startup, held an artist showcase in New York in April demonstrating experimental gadgets built on its platform, including a France-themed souvenir, a stock-checking phone-like device, and an air quality monitor. The company has raised $11 million in total funding, including a $9 million seed round led by Abstract Ventures and BoxGroup. Founded last year by former Humane and HP employees, Era provides over 130 LLMs from 14+ providers to enable AI gadget form factors like glasses, jewelry, and home speakers, aiming to replace the traditional app model with an intelligence layer.
Google unveils new TPUs, the 8i and 8t, for advanced AI agents. These chips aim to boost AI performance and efficiency. Google's integrated approach, from hardware to data centers, positions them to lead the agentic AI era. Major companies like Meta and Anthropic are already partnering with Google for TPU access, signaling a significant shift in the AI hardware market.
Victory Giant, a Chinese printed circuit board manufacturer for AI and high-performance computing, surged 57.23% in its Hong Kong trading debut on Tuesday, with investors capitalizing on booming demand for AI infrastructure hardware. The retail tranche was oversubscribed 431.15 times. The company rose from seventh place with 1.7% market share in 2024 to lead the market with 13.8% in H1 2025, according to Frost & Sullivan data.
Victory Giant, a Chinese printed circuit board manufacturer for AI and high-performance computing, surged 57.23% in its Hong Kong trading debut on Tuesday, with the retail tranche oversubscribed 431.15 times. The company became the world's leading PCB maker by revenue in AI/HPC in H1 2025 with 13.8% market share, up from 7th place in 2024. Victory Giant entered Nvidia's H-series AI accelerator supply chain in 2023 and was promoted to tier-one supplier in 2024.
