According to the latest investigations by TrendForce’s Department of Display Research, the shipment of gaming monitors (defined as having frame rates of 100Hz or higher) is projected to reach upwards of 12.2 million units in 2020, a 37% increase YoY, owing to the wider variety and market availability of models with consumer-friendly prices.
As Apple’s upcoming release of products featuring Mini LED backlight generates a growth in Mini LED demand, the company has also stimulated actors in the Mini LED supply chain to increase their production capacities. According to the latest investigations by the LEDinside research division of TrendForce, in 1Q21 Apple is expected to not only release its 12.9-inch, Mini LED backlight-equipped iPad Pro, but also open contract bids for its 14-inch and 16-inch MacBooks. Apple has currently chosen Taiwanese manufacturers of display-related components to supply its Mini LED backlights, since Taiwanese suppliers have an advantage in new product development given their superior product stability and technological maturity. Both upstream and downstream suppliers are expected to participate in the Mini LED supply chain, including LED chip manufacturer Epistar, testing and sorting providers FitTech and Saultech, SMT supplier TSMT, and PCB backplane manufacturer Zhen Ding Tech – all of which serve important roles in the development of new Mini LED backlight displays.
According to the latest investigations by the DRAMeXchange research division of TrendForce, despite the reduced demand for consumer electronics and smartphones as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the NAND Flash market showed a short supply in 1H20, thanks to the corresponding rising demand for cloud services and distance education, as well as increased inventory procurement by some clients concerned with a possible breakage in the supply chain. On the whole, SSD currently dominates NAND Flash demand, while demand from the eMMC, UFS, and wafer markets, which are related to smartphones and consumer electronics, remains relatively sluggish.
According to the latest investigations by the DRAMeXchange research division of TrendForce, the increase in server orders in 2Q20 took place due to the gradual easing of supply chain disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic. ODM server orders increased by about 20% QoQ in 2Q20, although work resumption at some overseas server assembly lines yet remains lower than expected, in turn constraining the overall server unit shipment performance. TrendForce estimates the QoQ increase in server shipments in 2Q20 to be about 9%.
On June 18, 2020, Taiwan-based LED manufacturers Epistar and Lextar announced their plan to jointly establish a holding company through share conversion. TrendForce’s LEDinside research division offers its insight regarding the two companies’ partnership.
