Global demand for handset panels is expected to accelerate in the second half of this year on the back of strong smartphone sales, market researcher International Data Corp (IDC) said.
IDC Taiwan senior manager Annabelle Hsu (徐美雯) said that shipments of screens for smartphones could rise by 13 to 15 percent in the second half of the year from the first half.
However, because of declining demand for feature phones, handset display shipments as a whole is forecast to rise only 8 to 10 percent in the six-month period, she said.
For the full year, shipments of handset screens are expected to grow 23 percent from a year earlier, she said.
Hsu said small and medium-sized panels would serve as the growth driver for the global flat-panel industry this year.
While handset screens in particular should see a big leap in shipments this year, demand for tablet screens is expected to grow at a slower pace, she said.
This is because hybrid laptops are eroding the market share for tablets, she added.
The result is that tablet screen shipments for this year are expected to rise only 10 percent from last year, instead of the 20 percent growth that IDC estimated earlier this year.
As for TV panel shipments, IDC expects an increase of only 1 percent from a year earlier.
The sale of ultra-high definition panels, bolstered by demand from China, has accounted for 8 to 10 percent of overall TV screen shipments this year, Hsu said.
As for notebook computer screens, Hsu said South Korea’s Samsung Electronics Co and LG Display Co, as well as Taiwan’s AU Optronics Corp (友達) and Innolux Corp (群創), account for about 95 percent of the global market.
Hsu said that as Samsung has focused on developing twisted nematic fringe field switching screens — which minimize color distortion and maximize viewing angle — and reduced production of other laptop panels, tight panel supply could prompt buyers to place orders with Samsung’s competitors.
In addition, Microsoft’s ending of its support for its Windows XP platform could spur PC replacement demand, she said, which could boost monitor prices.
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