Weekly Industry Highlights from SLKOR | Week 12 of 2025 | March 17 - 21 


1. Apple Plans to Launch iPhone 17 Ultra Model

• Apple plans to introduce the Ultra model for the first time in its iPhone 17 series, set to be released in the fall of 2025. The Ultra model will replace the current Pro Max version, featuring a thicker design to accommodate a larger battery and an exclusive cooling system, further segmenting the high-end market.
  

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2. NVIDIA Unveils AI and High-Performance Computing Innovations at GTC

• At the 2025 Global AI Conference (GTC), NVIDIA showcased its latest AI and high-performance computing technologies, including a preview of the next-generation GPU Rubin and an upgraded version of the Blackwell chip. These advancements are expected to drive further progress in AI training and inference.
  

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3. OpenAI Launches AI Agent Development Toolkit

• OpenAI released a comprehensive toolkit for AI agent development, including the Responses API, built-in tools (such as web search and file retrieval), and the Agents SDK. The new tools support multi-turn interactions and complex task orchestration, enabling developers to automate operations by invoking the Computer Use Tool.
  

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4. TSMC Collaborates with Three U.S. Chip Giants to Operate Intel’s Fab

• TSMC is in talks with NVIDIA, AMD, and Broadcom to establish a joint venture to operate Intel’s fab. TSMC’s stake will not exceed 50% to comply with U.S. requirements for domestic semiconductor industry control.
  

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5. Huawei Unveils New Xiaoyi Smart Assistant

• At the Huawei Pura Pioneer Event, Huawei launched the HUAWEI Pura X smartphone equipped with HarmonyOS 5 and introduced the new Xiaoyi smart assistant. Xiaoyi leverages the Pangu model and DeepSeek fusion architecture to deliver a more human-like emotional companionship experience.
  

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6. Tesla’s Optimus Robot Mass Production Plan

• Tesla plans to achieve mass production of the Optimus robot in 2025, targeting "thousands of units" and testing its application in multiple critical tasks. This progress marks a significant step in the application of robotics in production and consumer fields.
  

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7. Amazon AWS Finalizes Trainium 3 Chip Design

• Amazon’s self-developed Trainium 3 chip has been finalized, further enhancing AWS’s competitiveness in the cloud computing sector, particularly in AI training and inference.
  

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8. Microsoft and Google Developer Conference Previews

• Microsoft and Google have previewed their 2025 developer conferences. Microsoft will continue to advance the Azure cloud platform, focusing on innovations in AI and quantum computing, while Google will release Android 14 and a series of new AI tools and services.
  

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9. Intel Launches AI Innovation Application Competition

• Intel has kicked off its second AI Innovation Application Competition, with a total prize pool of 1.6 million RMB. The competition introduces a youth track to encourage more developers to participate in AI application innovation and implementation.
  

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10. Chinese Tech Companies Drive AI Integration with Capital Markets

• Chinese tech companies are leveraging AI technologies to drive a rebound in the capital markets. For example, the MSCI China A Onshore Index has returned 0.28% year-to-date, while offshore indices such as the Hang Seng Index and MSCI China Index have risen by 14.86% and 15.32%, respectively.