The share of In-Cell solutions in the global smartphone market is estimated to reach 31.9% by the end of 2017, according to the latest research on touch display solutions by WitsView, a division of TrendForce. This latest share figure for In-Cell solutions, which is an upward revision from the earlier projection of 29.6%, is mainly attributed to the near maturation of IC products for TDDI (Touch with Display Driver Integration) as well as their rapid adoption in the panel industry.
Market research firm TrendForce reports that the global notebook shipments for this second quarter registered a sequential quarterly increase of 5.7% and a year-on-year increase of 3.6%, totaling 39.96 million units. Biddings for notebook contracts in North America and market arrivals of new product models were the main driving forces behind the second-quarter shipments. As for the entire first half of 2017, the strong demand from North America contributed to a global shipment result that exceeded the market expectations.
Prices of LCD TV panels of all sizes have started to soften from June and are now on a noticeable downward trend in August, according to the latest report from WitsView, a division of TrendForce. Size segments that are seeing significant price decline include the 65- and the 55-inch as well as the mid-size panels ranging from the 40- to the 43-inch.
TrendForce’s latest smartphone market research finds flat growth in the global production volume between the first and second quarter of 2017. Similar to the prior three-month period, smartphone sales in the second quarter were lackluster and affected by the anticipation of the 10th anniversary iPhone release in the next half of the year. In total, the global smartphone production volume reached 324 million units in the second quarter. Samsung, Apple and Huawei retained first, second and third place, respectively, in the worldwide production volume ranking for the period. Xiaomi managed to surpass LG to take sixth place in the ranking.
Foxconn on July 26 announced the initiation of its “Flying Eagle Project” in North America and a US$10 billion investment to build a Gen-10.5 LCD panel fab in Wisconsin. According to WitsView, a division of TrendForce, this proposed plant will be mainly producing panels of 8K resolution. Display technologies behind 8K resolution are well developed and have existed for a while. Nonetheless, Foxconn’s Wisconsin plant represents the first-ever attempt to build LCD manufacturing capacity in North America. As LCD technology matures, having an integrated supply chain for its end products near or within the key regional markets will be crucial to the competitiveness of panel suppliers and consumer electronics brands.