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Thursday 12 December 2024
Thinner, lighter foldable phone designs raise technical threshold for supply chain
Foldable smartphone shipment momentum continues to be strong for certain major mobile phone brands despite their low popularity in the end market. However, as development shifts toward lighter and thinner designs, brand manufacturers are investing in material upgrades, which has raised the technical threshold for the supply chain.
Wednesday 11 December 2024
CMMT pushing into FOPLP product business
Polarizer specialist Cheng Mei Materials Technology (CMMT) is collaborating with customers on films, adhesives, and coatings for the fan-out panel-level packaging (FOPLP) backend manufacturing process. The company has made the initial step into the redistribution layer first (RDL-first) manufacturing process, primarily targeting applications such as power ICs and radio frequency integrated circuits (RFIC). Samples are currently being sent, with mass production pending customer validation.
Tuesday 10 December 2024
AUO factory sale sparks asset valuation surge for optical film manufacturer EFUN
The sale of AUO's Tainan factory to Micron for NT$260,000 (US$8,022) per Taiwanese ping (approx. 3.3 square meters) has triggered a ripple effect in the industrial real estate market. Optical film manufacturer EFUN Technology, which owns a 59,000-square-meter facility in Tainan Technology Industrial Park, is now actively evaluating ways to optimize its assets. Based on product development progress, the company may lease, sell, or retain the facility for its use.
Thursday 28 November 2024
Wah Hong seeks to take lead in coating technologies with vehicles serving as main driver
Advanced material provider Wah Hong is developing packaging and materials for Micro LED and Mini LED technologies with prices ranging from US$200 to US$300 per square meter. Company president Ching-Pin Yeh stated that these products are set to become key drivers of growth and he envisioned Wah Hong to be the "TSMC of coating materials."
Wednesday 20 November 2024
FocalTech expects continued growth in TDDI chip sales
The third quarter has historically been a peak season, with robust sales of premium smartphones boosting FocalTech Systems' AMOLED TDDI shipments to continue their upward trend. Meanwhile, the supply chain's readiness to amass inventory has increased due to stable prices for mid-range and low-end TDDI products, resulting in increased demand.
Wednesday 20 November 2024
Mobile panel upgrades accelerate, OLED DDI to become mainstream by 2025
The overall progress of Chinese smartphone brands adopting OLED panels is rapidly advancing. Industry experts predict that by 2025, OLED will dominate the smartphone panel market, with only the lowest-tier models continuing to use traditional LCD panels.
Tuesday 19 November 2024
Adhesive maker Nan Pao eyes revenue growth in 2024, 2025
Nan Pao Resins Chemical Group, a Taiwan-based hot melt adhesives manufacturer, has been targeting record-high revenues in 2024 and is aiming for high single-digit revenue growth in 2025. Growth is being driven by promising prospects for its three main product lines, as well as benefits from acquisitions and new plant operations.
Friday 15 November 2024
Walmart's ESL rollout gains momentum as E Ink eyes 2025 surge with Trump's return
With retailers increasingly embracing smart retail solutions, major players are accelerating their adoption of electronic shelf labels (ESL). Walmart launched a significant push to install ESL across its US stores in mid-2024, transitioning from pilot projects to full-scale deployment. This expansion is projected to generate demand for 400-500 million ESL units over the next three years.
Wednesday 13 November 2024
GIS expands fingerprint recognition market in 2025 amid industry's moderate growth in second half of 2024
Touch panel manufacturer GIS has faced significant operational challenges in 2024. Despite a rebound in consolidated revenue during the third quarter, the company's product mix resulted in a reduced gross profit margin. As GIS's market share in fingerprint recognition continues to expand, the company expects overall performance in 2025 to surpass that of 2024, with fingerprint recognition revenue projected to exceed 10% for the first time.
Thursday 7 November 2024
Novatek expects weaker 4Q24, looks to AI-driven edge demand for 2025 growth
Novatek posted strong revenue growth in the third quarter of 2024, fueled by high inventory demand for mobile OLED DDIs. However, gross margin slipped from the previous quarter, mainly due to price adjustments for specific chips, rising gold costs, and lower non-recurring engineering (NRE) revenue.
Wednesday 6 November 2024
BenQ Materials initiates Micro LED shipments, projects 2025 panel supply and demand to align with 2024
The polarizer market continues to face oversupply pressures, limiting average selling price (ASP) growth. BenQ Materials has strengthened its portfolio with high-value products, including automotive and OLED polarizers, while also commencing shipments of Micro LED materials. Supply and demand for panels in 2025 are projected to remain consistent with 2024, supported by strategic capacity adjustments.
Wednesday 6 November 2024
Polarizer firms CMMT boosts high-value product deployment
Polarizer manufacturer Cheng Mei Materials Technology (CMMT) has stepped up its deployment in high-value product segments to alleviate the impact of oversupply in the LCD market which has prompted panel makers to shut down some of their fabs.
Wednesday 6 November 2024
Elan bullish about notebook growth in 2025, with new products in tow
Leading touch controller chip firm Elan Microelectronics posted strong results in both revenue and profit for the traditional third-quarter peak season. Although the fourth quarter may see a slight drop in revenue as the industry enters its usual off-peak period, the company expects gross margin to remain at a relatively high level. Going into 2025, Elan anticipates robust notebook-related demand to drive higher growth than in the previous two years, with new products entering the market boosting profits as well.
Tuesday 5 November 2024
Apple's US$280.8 million Chinese R&D expansion raises alarms for South Korean industry and US national security
Apple is strengthening its collaboration with China's display industry, aiming to lower production costs and reduce reliance on primary South Korean suppliers, Samsung Display (SDC) and LG Display (LGD). As Chinese OLED technology progresses, this shift is capturing significant attention in the industry.
Tuesday 5 November 2024
Ilitek prepares for 2025 expansion with OLED, auto and notebook DDI portfolio
Display driver IC (DDI) specialist Ilitek is poised to re-enter the capital market in late November as ITH Corporation. Ahead of ITH's upcoming listing on the stock market, chairman Wayne Liang highlights the company's eight-year consolidation period that has strengthened its technical and business capabilities. These efforts have yielded results, with the company securing top-three positions in both the smartphone touch DDI market and the handset OLED DDI market in China.
Thursday 31 October 2024
Corning negotiating higher glass prices with panel makers
Corning is in negotiation with customers about raising prices for its display glass substrates, with panel makers bracing for double-digit increases.
Tuesday 22 October 2024
Riding the tailwind of trade-in policies: Polarizer makers see a surge in last-minute orders
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.
Thursday 17 October 2024
Taiwan unveils breakthrough light field AR technology for smart medicine
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).
Thursday 17 October 2024
Himax and Elan capitalize on rising demand for AI PC touchscreens
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.
Monday 14 October 2024
Coretronic expects lower October shipments due to fewer workdays despite 3Q24 growth
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.
Friday 4 October 2024
Effects of possible US sanction on Chinese displays remain to be seen, says SDC president
As more reports emerge regarding the possible sanction on Chinese displays, the industry is looking out for further movement from the United States. South Korean media reported that Samsung Display (SDC) president Joo Sun Choi believes that the impact of the United States' actions on South Korea remains to be observed.
Friday 27 September 2024
Color-changing e-paper to commercialize and possibly launch in 2025
E Ink's color-changing e-paper has garnered significant attention since it collaborated with BMW, attracting interest for various products, although these collaborative products remain at a conceptual stage. However, with emerging applications and ongoing technological advancements, color-changing e-paper is expected to yield commercial products by 2025, with handbags emerging as the most promising product category.
Thursday 26 September 2024
iPhone 16 sales fall short, LGD faces challenges
Apple's iPhone 16 has seen lower-than-expected initial sales, deepening concerns for South Korean display manufacturers. According to recent reports from South Korean media, LG Display (LGD) is facing particularly severe challenges.
Thursday 26 September 2024
LTPO backplanes trends upward after gaining favor from Huawei, Apple
Before 2020, almost all smartphones incorporated LTPS technology for their AMOLED panels. However, many manufacturers are turning to LTPO, especially now that generative AI (GenAI) integration is gaining popularity.
Friday 20 September 2024
Samsung Display to expand Vietnam production base with investment up to US$1.8 billion
Samsung Display Vietnam (SDV) has announced plans to expand its production facility in Bắc Ninh Province, Vietnam, with an investment of up to US$1.8 billion in Yên Phong Industrial Park. The expansion will focus on producing OLED displays and electronic components, reinforcing Vietnam's position as a vital hub in Samsung's global supply chain.
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