With the advent of hand-held wireless devices that combine multiple functions, the market for small to medium-sized touch screen panels is set to grow.
One Taiwan-based manufacturer, PanJit International's (
PanJit International is a semiconductor manufacturer whose touch screen manufacturing division has been showing signs that it is ready to become one of the established companies in the sector.
PanJit TSD expected to see 80 percent growth in revenues last year, with after tax profits at NT$119 million (US$3.68 million), and an earning per share of NT$2.98, an analyst, who requested anonymity, said yesterday.
The strong outlook for this sector leads to estimated net profits this year of NT$218 million, an 83 percent growth year on year, and estimated earnings per share at NT$5.48, the analyst said.
Although touch screen panels have been around for some time, often in self-help kiosks and ticketing machines, it is the introduction of Apple's iPhone with small to medium-sized touch screen panels that breaks them into the consumers' electronic market.
"The demand for touch screen GPS devices looks strong for this year, but we expect even stronger growth in the mobile phones market," said Hank Lin (
The premium mobile phones market, led by the likes of Apple and HTC (宏達電), requires capacitive touch screen panels, which are more expensive than resistive touch screen panels. However, companies that mass produce medium price range mobiles such as Nokia and Sony Ericsson may be ready to introduce new models, if touch screen supplies and inventory is not an issue, Lin said.
"We are acutely aware of the cycle of the mobile phone business, that is why we are ready to branch out into the capacitive touch screens market, where the profit margin is higher. We expect our products to be on the market by the second quarter of this year," he said.
Large-sized panels have a more uniform standard, whereas small to medium-sized panels vary widely in specifications, giving smaller, more flexible manufacturers an advantage, analysts said.
Three experts in the high technology industry have said that US President Donald Trump’s pledge to impose higher tariffs on Taiwanese semiconductors is part of an effort to force Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) to the negotiating table. In a speech to Republicans on Jan. 27, Trump said he intends to impose tariffs on Taiwan to bring chip production to the US. “The incentive is going to be they’re not going to want to pay a 25, 50 or even a 100 percent tax,” he said. Darson Chiu (邱達生), an economics professor at Taichung-based Tunghai University and director-general of
Hon Hai Precision Industry Co (鴻海精密) is reportedly making another pass at Nissan Motor Co, as the Japanese automaker's tie-up with Honda Motor Co falls apart. Nissan shares rose as much as 6 percent after Taiwan’s Central News Agency reported that Hon Hai chairman Young Liu (劉揚偉) instructed former Nissan executive Jun Seki to connect with French carmaker Renault SA, which holds about 36 percent of Nissan’s stock. Hon Hai, the Taiwanese iPhone-maker also known as Foxconn Technology Group (富士康科技集團), was exploring an investment or buyout of Nissan last year, but backed off in December after the Japanese carmaker penned a deal
SUPPORT: The government said it would help firms deal with supply disruptions, after Trump signed orders imposing tariffs of 25 percent on imports from Canada and Mexico The government pledged to help companies with operations in Mexico, such as iPhone assembler Hon Hai Precision Industry Co (鴻海精密), also known as Foxconn Technology Group (富士康科技集團), shift production lines and investment if needed to deal with higher US tariffs. The Ministry of Economic Affairs yesterday announced measures to help local firms cope with the US tariff increases on Canada, Mexico, China and other potential areas. The ministry said that it would establish an investment and trade service center in the US to help Taiwanese firms assess the investment environment in different US states, plan supply chain relocation strategies and
WASHINGTON POLICY: Tariffs of 10 percent or more and other new costs are tipped to hit shipments of small parcels, cutting export growth by 1.3 percentage points The decision by US President Donald Trump to ban Chinese companies from using a US tariff loophole would hit tens of billions of dollars of trade and reduce China’s economic growth this year, according to new estimates by economists at Nomura Holdings Inc. According to Nomura’s estimates, last year companies such as Shein (希音) and PDD Holdings Inc’s (拼多多控股) Temu shipped US$46 billion of small parcels to the US to take advantage of the rule that allows items with a declared value under US$800 to enter the US tariff-free. Tariffs of 10 percent or more and other new costs would slash such