TrendForce projects that shipments will reach 36.7 million units in 2Q23—a 15.1% QoQ growth. Comparing this number to pre-pandemic figures, with 37.3 million shipments in 2Q18 and 35.4 million shipments in 2Q19, we can see that the figures are almost on par.
The prices of large-sized DDIs have been resistant to falling as it’s too difficult for wafer prices to return to their pre-pandemic levels. The ASP of DDIs is expected to remain level throughout 2Q23 or dip slightly by 1–3%.
TrendForce estimates that shipments of display panels used in notebook computers (NB panels) will total 38.7 million pieces for 1Q23, showing a QoQ decline of 10.4% and a YoY decline of 45.6%.
With the reduced number of work days in January, Chinese brands pulled some orders forward and began shipments for these orders as early as the end of 2022. Therefore, the effect of the low season during 1Q23 has been more severe for them. TrendForce projects that the total TV shipments from Chinese brands in 1Q23 will register a larger-than-average QoQ drop of 30.6%.
Annual global shipments of foldable smartphones are projected to climb from around 12.8 million units for 2022 to around 18.5 million units for 2023, says TrendForce in its latest report on the market for OLED displays. Among the key components for a foldable smartphone, hinges play a critical role in determining the cost of the whole device. In a foldable smartphone, hinges are responsible for the durability or flex life of the foldable display, the visibility of the fold crease on the display, the feel of flipping the device, and many other functions that are vital to user experience. In other words, the quality of hinges will directly affect consumers’ willingness to purchase a foldable smartphone. With the penetration rate of foldable models rising in the smartphone market, the value of the global market for hinges used in foldable OLED smartphones will rise by 14.6% YoY to above the level of US$500 million for 2023.