TrendForce’s latest research indicates that the global lithium battery market remained subdued in January, with cell makers still working through their inventories and production rates lingering at low levels. The ASP of EV cells has continued to fall—the most significant drop was observed in EV pouch cells, which saw a MoM decline of 7.3% to CNY 0.51/Wh. While prices are expected to continue declining in February, the rate of decrease is likely to slow down.
TrendForce research indicates that global TV shipments in 2023 amounted to approximately 195 million units—a 2.7% YoY decrease, setting a new low for the past decade. Looking ahead to the first quarter of 2024, which coincides with the traditional off-season for consumer products, global TV shipments are estimated to decrease by 18.9% QoQ to 43.28 million units. However, there is potential for a slight increase in annual shipments by 0.3%, reaching about 196 million units for the whole year.
Intel and UMC officially announced their landmark collaboration on January 25, 2024, geared toward developing the 12-nanometer process. TrendForce believes that this partnership, which leverages UMC’s diversified technological services and Intel’s existing factory facilities for joint operation, not only aids Intel in transitioning from an IDM to a foundry business model but also brings a wealth of operational experience and enhances manufacturing flexibility.
TrendForce maintains a positive outlook on bio-sensing tech in the wearables market. Substantial growth is predicted, with the market value for bio-sensing in smartwatches and smart bands expected to reach US$422 million by 2028, growing a CAGR of 14.7% from 2023.
TrendForce’s latest analysis reveals that the downswing of DRAM contract prices, which had lasted for eight consecutive quarters since 4Q21, was finally reversed in 4Q23. Likewise, NAND Flash rebounded in 3Q23 after four quarters of decline. The persistence of this rally in memory prices during 2024 will largely hinge on suppliers’ ongoing and effective control over their capacity utilization rates.