ComputInsights #16 – Weekly Computing Market Insights

M&A and Investments 

Oppo Enters Auto Industry with 5G Patent Deal, Licensing SEPs to Volkswagen

Oppo has signed its first standard essential patent (SEP) licensing agreement with an automaker, granting Volkswagen access to its 5G cellular technologies across the German group’s global connected vehicle lineup. The move marks Oppo’s strategic expansion from smartphones into the automotive sector, leveraging its position as the 8th-ranked holder of 5G SEPs globally. The deal also builds on Oppo’s momentum in vehicle tech, with its VOOC fast-charging system now used in over 10 million cars worldwide. This agreement positions Oppo as a rising cross-sector tech provider amid growing convergence between mobile and automotive innovation.

Company-Specific News

Intel Unveils Packaging Breakthroughs to Power the Next Generation of AI Chips

At the IEEE ECTC 2025, Intel revealed three advanced chip packaging innovations designed to dramatically increase silicon density and thermal efficiency—key to supporting growing AI workloads. Highlights include EMIB-T, a 3D interconnect technology enabling over 10,000 mm² of silicon in one package, enhanced bonding methods for larger substrates, and modular heat spreaders that stay flat under high thermal stress. These technologies remain in R&D but are vital to Intel’s push to rival TSMC in the AI chip packaging race.

Samsung Reins in DRAM Output as SK hynix Surges Ahead with HBM4 Ramp-Up

Samsung is tightening control over DRAM production in 2H25 to prioritize profitability amid tariff risks and shrinking margins, while SK hynix aggressively expands HBM4 output to meet soaring AI demand from NVIDIA. Analysts warn of potential DRAM oversupply and price volatility by Q4, despite a temporary DDR5 price bump in Q3.

Team Group Predicts Firm DRAM Pricing in 2025, Eyes Edge AI Expansion

Team Group expects DRAM prices to remain stable or rise through 2025 due to ongoing production cuts and AI-driven demand, especially for DDR5, while NAND flash pricing trends slightly upward. The company is shifting focus toward edge AI and enterprise SSDs amid evolving tech cycles, despite recent margin pressures and inventory build-ups in both DRAM and NAND lines.

Huawei Admits Chip Lag but Finds Workarounds with AI and Cluster Computing

Huawei CEO Ren Zhengfei acknowledged the company’s chips lag U.S. peers by a generation but said Huawei is compensating through innovations like cluster computing and compound chips. Despite ongoing U.S. export restrictions, Huawei is investing over $25 billion annually in R&D and positioning its Ascend AI chips as domestic alternatives to Nvidia’s offerings.