As 2026 dawned, the semiconductor sector found itself in the throes of another round of price escalations. Triggered by prior hikes in wafer foundry services as well as packaging and testing costs, the IC design industry now stands on the brink of implementing its own price adjustments to counterbalance these mounting expenses. MediaTek has openly declared its plans to enact moderate price modifications. Meanwhile, manufacturers specializing in power management ICs are biding their time, waiting for the optimal moment to institute price hikes, with the intention of following MediaTek's lead. This impending surge in prices is being propelled by a confluence of factors, including discrepancies between supply and demand, escalating production costs, and the soaring need for AI computational power. These elements are collectively exerting an influence on a wide array of segments within the industry, encompassing memory chips, wafer foundry services, and analog chips.