In the first half of 2024, aggressive stockpiling by terminal manufacturers led to an early depletion of demand, resulting in a lackluster peak season for the display panel industry. This downturn significantly impacted Taiwanese polarizer suppliers, such as BenQ Materials and Cheng Mei Materials Technology, which reported revenue declines due to sluggish market conditions.

In response to the global shift towards smart retailing, major retailers in both Taiwan and the US are rapidly installing Electronic Shelf Labels (ESL), with the trend gaining significant momentum. According to Feng-Yuan Kan, president of E Ink, Walmart plans to install 400 to 500 million ESL units across its U.S. stores over the next three years. Meanwhile, in Taiwan, Simple Mart has initiated a similar rollout across its 800+ stores, with installations expected to continue through mid-2025.

Taiwan has pioneered a groundbreaking light field augmented reality (AR) display technology for smart medicine, addressing common issues like dizziness, eye strain, and lack of depth perception typically associated with AR devices. This advanced technology is set to revolutionize high-precision medical procedures, such as minimally invasive surgeries, according to an October 16 announcement by the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC).

Following the successful launch of its 2K+ LTPO all-in-one screen in 2023, BOE, China's leading display manufacturer, is taking things up a notch for 2024. The company has upgraded its flexible OLED displays and teamed up with major smartphone brands like Oppo and OnePlus to unveil the new screen technology. This move is set to accelerate BOE's penetration of the high-end flagship smartphone market, aiming to boost its market share further.

Even though a true AI PC sales boom has yet to materialize, both supply chain firms and end-user brands are already innovating in terms of AI PC functions and designs. For Taiwanese integrated circuit (IC) design firms, these new directions present fresh opportunities for peripheral chips. In particular, touch and voice controls are likely to be the most promising additional functions for AI PCs, as computers gradually adopt more intuitive controls from the smartphone realm, moving beyond conventional mice, trackpads, and keyboards.

Samsung Electronics has dissolved its LED business under the Device Solutions (DS) division. However, the company will redirect related personnel towards the R&D of high-value-added next-generation panel technology such as Micro LED. Samsung is expected to actively expand its product lineup in the future.

Taiwan-based LCD panel maker AU Optronics (AUO) has dismissed speculation that it is planning to establish a foothold in semiconductor packaging by developing FOPLP.

According to recent reports, Samsung Electronics (Samsung) has suspended all construction and equipment orders for its P4 and P5 plants in Pyeongtaek and has decided to exit the LED market. South Korea-based industry personnel believe that the head of Samsung's Device Solutions (DS) division, Young Hyun Jun, may use the poor performance in the third quarter of 2024 as an opportunity to initiate significant reforms.

Although TV sales in China have been sluggish for a while, the recent government initiative of the trade-in subsidy program has sparked a wave of consumer activity during the 2024 National Day holiday. Both sales volume and revenue saw significant growth compared to the same period in 2023, with the policy's benefits expected to extend into the upcoming Double Eleventh Day shopping festival.

Large-sized panel manufacturers faced challenges in the third quarter of 2024 due to early pull-in from clients in the first half of the year. However, small and medium-sized panel makers, including HannStar Display and GiantPlus, performed well, both showing significant improvements compared to the second quarter. HannStar, in particular, saw a sharp rise in shipments in September, driving its revenue growth by over 50%.

Coretronic announced an unaudited monthly consolidated revenue of NT$3.435 billion (approx. US$106 million) for September 2024, marking a 5% decrease from NT$3.627 billion in August and a 3% decline from NT$3.553 billion in the same period last year. However, the company's unaudited consolidated revenue for the third quarter of 2024 reached NT$10.694 billion, representing a 7% increase quarter-over-quarter and a 3% rise year-over-year. Consolidated revenue for the first three quarters of 2024 totaled NT$29.782 billion, a slight 1% increase from NT$29.604 billion in the same period last year.