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IDC

IDC
The latest news and top stories on the IDC. A Needham, Massachusetts, USA-based entity in the market intelligence sector, IDC specialises in providing data, analysis, forecasts and advisory services. It primarily serves IT professionals, business executives and the investment community and is known for its extensive global analyst network.
Apple senior vice president of hardware engineering John Ternus announces new products in New York on March 4, 2026. Photo: EPA
Apple

Can new Apple CEO John Ternus replicate Tim Cook’s success in China?

Market researcher IDC says the Apple CEO transition marks ‘the most consequential leadership change in consumer technology in years’.

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Artificial intelligence

Alibaba and Baidu lift cloud prices by up to 34% amid AI demand surge

Smartphones

China’s Oppo doubles down on foldable smartphones as potential Apple entry looms

Smartphones

Will Apple’s low-cost iPhone 17e make a splash in China’s smartphone market?

Presales for the new entry-level iPhone start on Wednesday, with a wide release set for March 11.

Apple’s new iPhone 17e model comes in black, white and soft pink colours. Photo: Handout
Smartphones

Chinese smartphone makers bet on pivot to AI to weather memory chip crunch

Some Android phone makers are also expected to showcase experimental robots and other AI devices at the annual trade show.

Huawei

Huawei’s revenues surge to US$127 billion as it continues to defy US sanctions

Last year’s revenue was the second highest on record for the Shenzhen-based company, with its highest ever being 891 billion yuan in 2020.

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Artificial intelligence

The next interface race: how AI is bringing smart glasses into focus

LLVision CEO Wu Fei explains how advances in AI and hardware are pushing smart glasses closer to everyday use.

LLVision’s Leion Hey2 focuses on real-time translation at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2026 in Las Vegas. Photo: Wency Chen
China’s private sector

Before the factory floor, the dance floor: robots find path to market at US$145

Humanoid robots may one day transform factories and warehouses, but for now their most immediate role is keeping the party going.

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Robotics

Chinese vacuum maker using Temu’s playbook dreams big with Super Bowl debut

Dreame showcases robot vacuum in a Super Bowl commercial, drawing on Temu’s US prime-time campaign that helped it challenge Amazon.com.

Smartphones

China gives Apple ‘best iPhone quarter in history’ with 38% revenue growth

Sharp recovery is a ‘most surprising result’ amid ‘aggressive competition from domestic brands like Huawei’, IDC analyst says.

People look at iPhones in an Apple store in the Huangpu district of Shanghai on January 20, 2026. Photo: AFP
Artificial intelligence

Price rises on horizon for Chinese cloud firms after Google, AWS set new rates

Surging AI workloads, memory prices push Chinese cloud providers to consider increases after global peers act.

Alibaba Cloud led China’s AI cloud sector in the first half of 2025 with a market share of 36 per cent. Photo: Shutterstock
Smartphones

Exclusive | China’s Xiaomi, Transsion slash 2026 smartphone shipments as memory crunch bites

Xiaomi cut its latest shipment forecast by between 10 and 70 million units, while Transsion lowered its target by 30 to 45 million units.

Smartphones

Huawei reclaims top spot over Apple in China smartphone market

Huawei turns to China-designed processors to complete a rebound from US sanctions and ship nearly 47 million smartphones domestically.

Artificial intelligence

Chinese smart eyewear makers shine at CES with focus on challenging Meta

‘The rise of smart glasses is riding directly on advances in AI,’ LLVision founder and CEO Wu Fei says.

Visitors flock to Hangzhou-based Rokid’s eye-catching exhibition booth at the CES trade show in Las Vegas. Photo: Wency Chen
Smartphones

Xiaomi’s 17 Ultra, backed by Leica, challenges Apple’s iPhone Pro Max in imaging

The 17 Ultra’s US$998 starting price is nearly 8 per cent higher than the previous generation owing to the soaring cost of memory chips.

Xiaomi’s new 17 Ultra premium smartphone. Photo: Weibo
Huawei

Huawei cuts Pura X prices as Samsung and Apple foldables loom

Huawei has cut prices on its widescreen Pura X by as much as 800 yuan, as foldables face fresh pressure from Samsung and Apple launches.

Artificial intelligence

ByteDance AI model usage grows over tenfold on strong demand from Chinese firms

‘AI is being adopted at an unprecedented speed,’ Tan Dai, president at cloud unit Volcano Engine, says.

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Robotics

China cements global lead in smart vacuums as Picea acquires Roomba maker iRobot

Last month, Picea subsidiary Santrum bought about US$191 million of iRobot’s outstanding debt from the investment firm Carlyle Group.

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Roomba robot vacuums for sale in a store in Miami, Florida, December 15, 2025. Photo: Getty Images via AFP
Huawei

China’s Huawei ramps up foldable handset battle with global launch of Mate X7

Huawei held nearly 70 per cent of China’s foldable smartphone market in the first three quarters, according to research firm IDC.

Artificial intelligence

China’s Xreal to power Google’s Android AI glasses as smart eyewear demand grows

Project Aura, which features dual-chip design and optical see-through lenses, is a fresh example of China’s expanding R&D capabilities.

Artificial intelligence

Chinese EV maker Li Auto unveils industry’s cheapest AI glasses at US$282

Despite its lightweight build, Livis promises robust performance with an impressive battery life of 18.8 hours under normal usage.

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Li Auto’s glasses are also among the lightest on the market, weighing 46 grams including the lens. Photo: Handout
Artificial intelligence

ByteDance-powered AI phone snapped up by consumers keen to try agentic assistant

The joint effort is the latest example of China’s advantages in combining AI capabilities with conventional consumer gadgets.

The ZTE smartphone running on ByteDance’s agentic AI phone assistant sold out on the first day. Photo: Handout
Smartphones

How iPhone Air’s eSIM debut reshapes China’s telecoms landscape

The nation’s three major mobile carriers – China Unicom, China Mobile and China Telecom – are adopting different approaches.

China’s private sector

A token of intent: Doubao’s data surge cements ByteDance’s AI ambitions

A surge in activity on ByteDance’s Doubao model shows how rapidly AI tools are entering daily life in China.

VR and AR

Meet the Chinese start-up behind Google’s Android XR glasses

Despite waves of hype, mixed-reality technology has yet to achieve mainstream adoption due to high costs, hardware limitations and application scarcity.

Project Aura’s AR glasses are powered by Android XR. Photo: handout
Apple

Apple’s China iPhone sales face headwinds in second half: Counterpoint

Sales of Apple’s flagship device ‘will stumble amid weak consumer spending and an ageing iPhone 16 cycle’, Counterpoint analyst says.

Apple saw an 8 per cent year-on-year increase in iPhone 16 sales in China in the second quarter, according to research firm Counterpoint. Photo: AFP
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