"Mobile handheld devices account for over 60% of the industry's shipment value this year and smartphones continue to be the major growth contributor. This is due largely in part to the better-than-expected sales performance of Taiwan's major clients like Apple, Huawei, and Xiaomi, and the increase in smartphone's average selling price," says Chien-Hsun Lee, Research Director with MIC.

"Furthermore, Taiwanese manufacturers - especially those with production bases located in India and outside of China - are likely to acquire orders from phone brands in 2019 due to the possibility of the China-US trade war spilling over to smartphones and the shift in supply chains aligned with the Make-in-India initiative."