AccordingtoanalystMing-ChiKuoofTFInternationalSecurities,AppleInc.(AAPL-US)willabandonthelightningconnectoronitsiPhonenextyearandswitchtoUSB-Ctoincreasetransmissionandchargingspeeds.Themovecoulddriveasurgeinordersfromexistingsuppliersandmakeitthefocusofthemarketinthenext1-2years.Inthemeantime,themarketisoptimisticthatWeltrendSemiconductorInc.(2436-TW),SkyworthGroupCo.(6104-TW),VIALabsInc.(6756-TW)andmorewilltakeadvantageofthiswaveofbusinessopportunities.Apple’sswitchtoUSB-Ccouldaimatincreasingtransmissionspeed,somethingSkyworthandVIALabshavebeenworkingonforyearswiththeirhigh-speedinterfaceICs.AssuppliersofApple’speripheralecosystem,theycouldbenefitfromApple’sfurtherintroductionofUSB-C,whichwillincreasethetransmissionspeedandsignaldegradation,resultinginsignificantgrowthindemandforcellphonesignalrepeaters(ReDriver).MostAndroidphoneshavealreadyintroducedtheUSB-Cinterface;theyhavealsointroducedfastcharging,withXiaomibeingthemostaggressive.Itsflagshipphoneevencomeswith120Wofhigh-powerfastchargingasstandard.ThisissignificantlyhigherthantheiPhone’scurrentcharginglimitof27W,andAppleisboundtointroducePDspecificationstocompetewithAndroid.WeltrendhasbeentheleaderinPDcontrolchipsforlaptopsinrecentyears.Thecompanyhasalsoadaptedthetechnologyforcellphones,withcustomersincludingXiaomi,Google,andothercellphonebrands.AstheoverallmarketmovestowardaunifiedglobalstandardforUSBPD,thedemandforPDcontrolchipswillonlyincrease.Weltrendisalsoactivelyimprovingitschargersolutions.Inrecentyears,Weltrendhaslaunchedintegratedsolutions,includingAC/DC,secondarySRrectifierandUSBPDcontrolchips,whichwillhelpincreasemarketshareinthecurrent8-inchcapacityconstraint.Theindustryisoptimisticthatreducingwastehasbeenthetoppriorityofthecurrentpolicyimplementationbygovernmentsascountriesarenowactivelystrivingfornet-zerocarbonemissions.FollowingtheEU’sinclusionofUSB-Cintheunifiedspecification,Chinahasalsobegundiscussionstoboosttheoverallmarketscale.
