Taiwan makers' shipments of touch panels used in handsets and tablets are expected to drop 10.8% and 22.3%, respectively, in the first quarter of 2015, according to Digitimes Research.
During the fourth quarter of 2014 Wintek suffered financially and G/G orders from Apple were weak, which influenced the 8.1% sequential decline in handset touch panel orders the makers witnessed during the quarter despite the period traditionally being a strong time for orders.
However, tablet touch panel orders during the fourth quarter rose 9.4% on quarter but the number was weaker than the 35.9% growth recorded from makers outside Greater China.
Taiwan makers' shipments of notebook touch panels meanwhile declined 13.2% in the fourth quarter as demand strengthened in the previous quarter, and are expected to increase 56% in the first quarter of 2015 due to new orders including those for 2-in-1 notebook/tablet applications.
In terms of technology, On-Cell is showing obvious signs of growth in the market, with Innolux targeting international vendors such as Motorola Mobility for handset applications and AU Optronics (AUO) notebook applications. Innolux is also pushing thin-film solutions.
Digitimes Research also found that TPK is losing strength in orders for silver-nano-wire technology but is growing in OGS orders for higher-end smartphone and tablet applications from international vendors. The company is also expected to lead the way in orders for OGS applications used in notebooks and 2-in-1 units, which will push its notebook touch panel shipments up 79.7% on quarter in the first quarter of 2015.