AMD Introduces AI Chips for Business Laptops and Desktops

A smartphone with a displayed AMD logo is placed on a computer motherboard in this illustration taken March 6, 2023. (Reuters)
A smartphone with a displayed AMD logo is placed on a computer motherboard in this illustration taken March 6, 2023. (Reuters)
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AMD Introduces AI Chips for Business Laptops and Desktops

A smartphone with a displayed AMD logo is placed on a computer motherboard in this illustration taken March 6, 2023. (Reuters)
A smartphone with a displayed AMD logo is placed on a computer motherboard in this illustration taken March 6, 2023. (Reuters)

Advanced Micro Devices unveiled a new series of semiconductors for artificial intelligence-enabled business laptops and desktops on Tuesday as the chip designer looks to expand its share of the lucrative "AI PC" market.

These chips are expected to be available in platforms from HP and Lenovo starting in the second quarter of 2024, AMD said in a press release.

AI-enabled PCs are capable of running large-language models and apps powered by the technology directly on the device, instead of the cloud.

AMD said its latest Ryzen PRO 8040 Series was built for "business laptops and mobile workstations" while its AMD Ryzen PRO 8000 Series was a desktop processor for business users.

Its shares were up more than 2% in early trading.

Experts have pinned a possible recovery in the PC market on the introduction of AI PCs, as consumers look to upgrade their systems with the new capabilities.

The advent of generative AI technology has led to towering demand for advanced semiconductors that can be used to develop and run complex AI programs.

In the market for AI PCs, AMD faces intense competition from Intel and AI chip front-runner Nvidia, hailed as a leader for graphics processing units (GPUs).

AMD introduced the Ryzen 8000G Series of desktop chips in January, targeted towards the heavy workloads that come along with AI-based tasks.

On the same day, Nvidia unveiled its own AI PC chips - the "GeForce RTX SUPER" desktop GPUs - saying Acer, ASUS, Dell Technologies, HP, Lenovo, and Samsung will release AI laptops featuring its technology.

Intel also said in January it expects to "ship approximately 40 million AI PCs in 2024 alone".



Apple’s China Market Share Shrinks as Huawei Surges, Data Shows 

A woman walks past a logo of Apple Inc in Wuhan, Hubei province July 24, 2013. (Reuters)
A woman walks past a logo of Apple Inc in Wuhan, Hubei province July 24, 2013. (Reuters)
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Apple’s China Market Share Shrinks as Huawei Surges, Data Shows 

A woman walks past a logo of Apple Inc in Wuhan, Hubei province July 24, 2013. (Reuters)
A woman walks past a logo of Apple Inc in Wuhan, Hubei province July 24, 2013. (Reuters)

Apple's market share in China shrank by two percentage points in the second quarter of 2024, as the tech giant faced intensifying competition from rivals like Huawei, according to data from market research firm Canalys.

The decline underscores the difficulties the US tech giant faces in its third-largest market.

Huawei's smartphone shipments surged 41% year-on-year in the quarter, bolstered by the launch of its new Pura 70 series in April.

The Canalys data, while not providing specific shipment figures for Apple, showed that the company's market share in China dropped to 14% in the second quarter of 2024, a decrease from 16% in the same quarter of 2023.

As a result of this decline, Apple's ranking in the Chinese smartphone market fell from third to sixth place.

Overall, China's smartphone shipments rose by 10% in the quarter, Canalys said. Vivo was the top vendor with a share of 19%, followed by Oppo, Honor and Huawei with 16%, 15% and 15% respectively.

"Domestic manufacturers have demonstrated market leadership, occupying the top five positions in the mainland Chinese market for the first time in history," said Lucas Zhong, research analyst at Canalys.

"On the other hand, Apple faces growth pressure in the Chinese market and is actively focusing on optimizing channel management."

Huawei made a comeback to the high-end smartphone segment last August with the release of a device powered by a domestically-made chip, defying US sanctions that have cut off its access to the global chipset supply chain.

In an effort to boost sales, Apple has ramped up its discounting efforts this year to entice consumers. The US company launched an aggressive campaign in May, doubling the scale of an earlier promotion in February and offering price cuts of up to 2,300 yuan ($318.84) on select iPhone models.

Analysts expect Huawei's strong performance to continue throughout the year. Canadian research firm TechInsights projected earlier this year that Huawei's overall smartphone shipments in China will exceed 50 million units in 2024, with the Pura 70 series accounting for 10 million of those shipments.

That would make Huawei the No. 1 seller with a 19% market share, up from 12% in 2023, TechInsights has said.