TSMC Expects Shipments of Premium Smartphones to Decline in 2018

Apple supplier TSMC says it expects to see a drop in shipments of premium smartphones this year. The company produces the A-series chips used in Apple's current iPhones.

"In terms of shipment units, high-end smartphones are decreasing for this year," C.C. Wei, co-chief executive of TSMC, said at the company's fourth-quarter earnings briefing. "Mid-to-low-end smartphones will increase by several percentage points. For TSMC, overall wafer revenue for mobile phones will be flat compared with 2017."


The announcement follows a recent report that iPhone component suppliers are purportedly bracing for lower than expected orders from Apple for Q1 2018.

Despite the weakening mobile market, TSMC expects a 10-15% increase in revenue this year. One of the key elements fueling growth is a continuation of robust cryptocurrency mining, or production. Bitmain, a Beijing-based startup specializing in bitcoin mining chips and mining solutions, is one of TSMC's top clients.

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