Digitimes Research remains conservative about the prospects for the period, with half-year shipments projected to reach 49.18 million units and whole-year shipments being revised downward to 88.69 million units.

Smartphone shipments in 2010 and 2011 both enjoyed growth of more than 60%. Growth will decelerate in 2012 due to the high base, as well as a slowdown in consumer spending in Western Europe.

Asia is playing an ever more important role in upstream LED chip manufacturing. The region accounted for 80% of MOCVD demand in 2011 and will account for 90% in 2012, largely because Taiwan, Japan, South Korea and China are the major global centers for LED chip production.