B[Some users reported that the iPhone 18 Pro has "faded" after it was launched less than a month ago] On October 15, nearly a month after the iPhone 18 Pro series was officially launched in China, consumers have recently publicly reported on social platforms that the new phones they use normally have partially faded. Among them, the burgundy version, which is the main color this year, has a more obvious color difference. The reporter consulted Apple customer service on this matter, and the other party said: "Under normal circumstances, fading does not occur. Currently, there are fewer reports of fading on the 18. The previous 17 has been on the market for a long time, so there are relatively more reports of fading." In addition to product fading, many users have recently reported on social platforms that the new Apple iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max they purchased will shut down and restart on their own after facial recognition lags. (Interface News) B[Agency: Global smartphone shipments fell 20% year-on-year in the third quarter, setting a new low for the same period in 14 years] October 14th, according to preliminary data from the Counterpoint Research market monitoring service, global smartphone shipments fell 20% year-on-year in the third quarter of 2026, setting a new low for the third quarter since 2012. The market decline was basically in line with Counterpoint Research's expectations, as the continued rise in DRAM and NAND prices intensified the impact of storage costs in the third quarter, causing a significant increase in bill of materials (BOM) costs and deepening supply shortages, which had a significant impact on mobile phone manufacturers' shipments. In response to the rising cost of components, OEM manufacturers have passed on part of the cost to consumers, pushing global smartphone retail prices to rise by 20% since 2026, and further pushing up the market's average selling price (ASP). B[South Korea’s ICT exports exceeded US$70 billion in September for the first time, setting a new record] On October 14, South Korea’s Ministry of Science, Technology, Information and Communications and the Ministry of Industry and Trade released data on the 14th. In September this year, information and communication technology (ICT) exports increased by 195.8% year-on-year, reaching US$75.15 billion, exceeding the US$70 billion mark for the first time, accounting for 62.1% of South Korea’s total exports, exceeding 60% for two consecutive months. Specifically, the export volume of semiconductors was US$60.33 billion, a year-on-year increase of 262.8%, setting a monthly record for two consecutive months; the export volume of computers and peripheral equipment was US$7.16 billion, a year-on-year increase of 393%. Among them, exports of solid-state drives (SSD) surged by 532% to US$6.77 billion; exports of monitors decreased by 11.5% to only US$1.7 billion; exports of mobile phones were US$1.9 billion, a year-on-year increase of 28.2%; exports of communication equipment were US$220 million, a decrease of 2.3%. In September, ICT imports increased by 55.3% year-on-year to US$21.43 billion; the trade surplus was US$53.71 billion, exceeding the US$50 billion mark for the first time and setting a record high. B[The Chinese delegation completed the task of participating in the 5D Working Group meeting of the International Telecommunication Union Radiocommunication Sector] October 14th, according to the official website of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, from September 28 to October 8, 2026, the 5D Working Group (WP5D) meeting under the International Telecommunication Union Radiocommunication Sector Study Group 5 (SG5) was held in Geneva, Switzerland. This meeting is the ninth meeting of the WP5D research cycle of the World Radiocommunication Conference 2027 (WRC-27). The WP5D working group is mainly responsible for studying the technology, operations and spectrum-related work of the terrestrial part of the International Mobile Telecommunications System (IMT). This meeting focused on new frequency band allocations for IMT, new frequency band allocations for mobile phone direct-connection satellites, research on the submission process and templates for future 6G wireless technology, and focused on reviewing the draft report of the WRC-27 Preparatory Meeting (CPM), interference protection rules for mobile phone direct-connection satellite systems to IMT systems and other research results. Two CPM-related manuscripts and five frequency compatibility sharing research manuscripts submitted by China were adopted by the meeting. More than 50 representatives from 12 units including relevant departments of the State Council, research institutions, universities, and enterprises participated in the meeting in a combined online and offline manner. B[Agency: Global smartphone prices on sale are expected to rise by an average of 20% by the end of 2026] On October 13, Counterpoint Research’s annual global smartphone consumer survey showed that 63% of consumers who plan to purchase a smartphone in the next six months have noticed an increase in smartphone prices. Among the various products and services consumed daily, smartphones are one of the two categories where consumers have experienced significant price increases, alongside fuel/gasoline, groceries and daily necessities. Chinese consumers have the highest awareness of rising smartphone prices, reaching 81%, followed by Germany (70%), India (66%), the United States and the United Kingdom (both 50%). Tarun, Research Director, Counterpoint Research Pathak said: "Increasing storage costs are pushing up smartphone prices, and OEM manufacturers have limited space to absorb the impact of cost increases. Therefore, according to our global smartphone price increase report, by the end of 2026, the price of smartphones on sale globally is expected to increase by an average of 20%, and the price of newly released models may increase by up to 30% year-on-year. Affected by this, consumers tend to postpone replacement and choose to purchase during major promotions; at the same time, installment payments and trade-ins are also supporting demand in the high-end market." B[A new round of price increases for domestic mobile phones, some models have increased by as much as 1,000 yuan] News on October 9, reporters learned from Huawei offline stores on October 9 that starting from 0:00 on October 9, 2026, Huawei will make price adjustments for the nova16 series: the recommended retail price (RRP) of nova16 and nova16 Pro will be increased by 400 yuan, nova16 SE will be increased by 200 yuan, and the channel delivery price (STP) will be increased simultaneously. On the same day, the price of the entire Mi 17 Ultra series also increased by 1,000 yuan: the starting price of the standard version increased from 6,999 yuan to 7,999 yuan, and the starting price of the higher-positioned Leica version increased from 7,999 yuan to 8,999 yuan. The pricing of the versions currently on sale on Xiaomi’s official website has been adjusted. (Interface News) B[Can’t play Honor of Kings on “Doubao Mobile”? Company response] On September 28, Doubao Mobile Assistant released "Instructions on Abnormal Usage of Nubia Navi On XUltra, when logging into Honor of Kings or engaging in a match, there will be a message that the device environment is abnormal and the user is forced to be kicked offline. "Doubao Mobile Assistant stated that after confirmation, Doubao Mobile Assistant did not perform any operations on the Tencent game system throughout the process, and the AI did not have any illegal clicks, plug-ins, or simulation behaviors. The team is still continuing to communicate with Tencent related parties, but has not received a clear reply from the other party so far. We sincerely apologize for this. At the same time, Doubao Mobile Assistant also advises users not to repeatedly try to log in to Honor of Kings on Nubia NaviX Ultra for the time being. "If your account has been banned, it is recommended to file an appeal/complaint through the official game customer service channel at the same time to restore the account faster. If there are any latest developments, we will synchronize everyone in a timely manner." Tencent has not publicly responded to this. The reporter learned from people familiar with the matter on September 28 that in terms of mechanism, Honor of Kings uses various security risk strategies to ensure game fairness. These strategies have been used for some time in the past without any targeted adjustments. (Beijing News) B[AI computing power and new hardware layout are implemented, and consumer electronics performance continues to be realized] Judging from the information released at the semi-annual performance briefings of many A-share consumer electronics companies, the industry is gradually getting rid of reliance on traditional businesses such as mobile phones and PCs, and is accelerating its layout in tracks such as AI computing power, robots, and AI glasses. On the computing power track, many companies have taken advantage of technological breakthroughs, production expansion and mergers and acquisitions to increase core links such as complete computing power machines and liquid cooling. A number of products are expected to be mass-produced in the second half of the year. In addition, relying on the advantages of precision manufacturing, many companies have invested in new businesses such as folding screen materials and AI wearables, cultivating new growth drivers on multiple fronts. (Shanghai Securities News) B[Intensive new folding screen mobile phones are driving market demand for flexible circuit boards] September 22, as Huawei, Apple, Xiaomi and other leading mobile phone brands intensively launch new folding screen products, flexible circuit boards, as the core component of folding screens, are entering a golden development period with both volume and price rising. Listed companies in the industrial chain are accelerating technology iteration and production capacity layout to seize high-end flexible circuit board market share. Yang Changlong, senior investment consultant of Shaanxi Jufeng Investment Information Co., Ltd., said in an interview with reporters: "Unlike the straight model, the folding screen model puts forward higher requirements for the usage, circuit accuracy, and material grade of the flexible circuit board, which directly promotes the increase in the value space of the flexible circuit board." (Securities Daily)
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