The global solar market has yet to show signs of turnaround after going through the turbulent 2016. The latest Gold Member Solar Report by EnergyTrend, a division of TrendForce, forecasts that the global PV demand for 2017 will total just 73.9 gigawatts. This year’s PV demand growth will be nearly flat for the first time after years of expansion. Also, the ranking of the top three regional solar markets will likely change this year, with India having the opportunity to displace Japan to become the world’s third largest.
DRAMeXchange, a division of TrendForce, reports that client-grade SSDs of mainstream capacities continue to see rising contract prices in the PC-OEM market during this first quarter. On average, contract prices of MLC-based client-grade SSDs are projected to go up by 12~16% compared with the fourth quarter of last year, while prices of TLC-based products are expected to increase by 10~16% sequentially. Looking ahead to the second quarter, end device sales are anticipated to be relatively flat. Furthermore, PC-OEMs are reaching their limits on SSD costs. While the average prices of mainstream client-grade SSDs will keep climbing, the increase in the second quarter will likely be more moderate.
LEDinside, a division of TrendForce, reports that the global average sales price (ASP) of 40-watt equivalent LED replacement light bulbs came to US$6.8 this February, down 0.6% from the prior month. As for 60-watt equivalent counterparts, their global ASP in the same month stood at US$8.2, dropping 2.1% from January.
Apple Pay is set to arrive in Taiwan this year, making the island the 14th market in its global expansion. Kelly Hsieh, senior research manager of TrendForce, stated that that iPhone devices currently has nearly a third of the smartphone market share in Taiwan, and this will help Apple Pay tremendously in penetrating into the local market. “Apple Pay can become a leading mobile payment platform that will gradually change the payment habit of Taiwanese consumers if it is able to win over consumers by providing strong data security and a very positive user experience,” said Hsieh.
