With sluggish iPhone sales and intense competition from Chinese panel manufacturers, Samsung Display (SDC)'s operating profit in the first quarter of 2024 saw a 56% year-on-year decrease. How SDC will respond to this has received a lot of attention.
Despite setbacks, particularly the breakup with Foxconn, the debt-laden Vedanta Group is still keen on semiconductor and display forays, which was seen as a strategy to deal with the group's financial stress. The prospect of Vedanta's display fab proposal with Innolux remains to be seen.
Novatek Microelectronics, a major Taiwanese IC design house, is anticipated to officially enter the supply of OLED Display Driver ICs (DDI) for the upcoming Apple iPhone 16 in 2024, despite being removed from Apple's latest supplier list.
The announcement for Apple's iPad Pro 2024 has been repeatedly delayed, reportedly due to issues related to OLED panels. Despite this, it was recently revealed that the two major South Korean manufacturers, LG Display (LGD) and Samsung Display (SDC), are responsible for supplying OLED panels for the new iPad and will incorporate many new panel technologies not previously used in iPhones.
Amid sluggish iPhone sales, Samsung Electronics and Chinese smartphone brands have begun to take advantage of this gap and expand their inventory of smartphones and OLEDs to seize market shares. This drove the utilization rates of OLED production lines for mid-to-low-end smartphones at Samsung Display (SDC), BOE, TCL CSOT, and other manufacturers.
Innolux signed an agreement with Japan-based Tech Extension Co. (TEX) and Tech Extension Taiwan Co. (TEX-T) to introduce next-generation 3D packaging technologies based on Bumpless Build Cube (BBCube) to Innolux's cleanrooms as the display giant strides into the semiconductor industry.
Despite sluggish growth, the global TV industry is witnessing a surge in demand for extra-large screens, driven primarily by the Chinese market's appetite for 100-inch TVs. This trend not only helps alleviate panel production constraints but also underscores the dominance of key brands.
Sharp is reportedly talking to the Indian government about a plan to set up a 10G display plant in India, which may be the first display fab and is likely eligible for the semiconductor incentive scheme.
Amid the competition between Cholesterol Liquid Crystal Display (ChLCD) and Electrophoretic Display (EPD) in the e-paper display market, AU Optronics (AUO) is betting on both technologies, eyeing potential markets for its solutions.
Taiwan's LED leader Ennostar will adopt a "3+1" strategy to meet the transformation challenges ahead and will collaborate closely with panel maker AU Optronics (AUO) and MicroLED expert PlayNitride to create a "dream team" dedicated to pioneering advanced MicroLED displays, according to Paul Peng, chairman of both AUO and Ennostar.
Taiwan's largest 375-inch curved interactive miniLED display, the "Wishing Tree," is stealing the show at the Touch Taiwan 2024 held April 24-26 at the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center.
E-Ink Holdings (EIH) anticipates clearing its electronic shelf label (ESL) inventory by the second quarter, followed by stronger demand in the third quarter. The e-paper giant maintains a positive outlook for 2024, fueled by the transition to color in e-book readers and e-paper notebooks.
LG Display (LGD) reported a year-on-year improvement in revenue and operating losses for the first quarter of this year. The firm aims to return to profitability in the second half of the year with a focus on high-end OLED products and the potential sale of its Guangzhou plant.
Innolux and AUO stated that the panel industry has bottomed out in the first quarter of 2024 and they are projecting double-digit revenue growth from their automotive applications.
AUO and Innolux are optimistic about the future of MicroLEDs despite Apple's abortion of its MicroLED smartwatch project. The two firms believe the act opened up even more technological opportunities for MicroLEDs.
The expectation for the OLED display market in 2024 is quite high, with market research firms forecasting a rebound in revenue, especially with Apple's iPad set to feature OLED displays for the first time, which is expected to drive market growth.
Iris Optronics, the sole provider introducing Cholesterol Liquid Crystal Display (ChLCD) to color e-paper, will showcase two proprietary color e-paper technologies and unveil a new product at the 2024 Touch Taiwan.
Panel maker AU Optronics (AUO) is teaming up with e-paper solution provider E Ink Holdings (EIH) to develop large-size color e-paper displays, according to the companies.
E Ink Holdings (EIH) will showcase an 88-inch e-paper display and an e-paper wall over 100 inches – both in color – at Touch Taiwan 2024. The firm's other offerings at the expo include green technologies, cloud services, and a wide range of color e-paper applications.
Innolux will showcase its Generative AI (GenAI) technologies at the 2024 Touch Taiwan, including a 3D printer with AI 3D imaging solutions and its "Chat-N-Go" AI Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV) display, among other versatile display solutions.
Micro LED applications are expected to multiply in the coming years, especially in the automotive sector. Li Yun-Li, CEO of micro LED supplier PlayNitride, said customers will likely put the company's product into concept vehicles in 2025 and enter the design phase of volume-production cars in 2027. The adoption of micro LED solutions in EVs could progress faster than expected.
Taiwan's major panel specialist Innolux is poised to wow the audiences at the upcoming Touch Taiwan 2024 by showcasing the industry's first color conversion MicroLED display technology alongside other pioneering MicroLED innovations and applications.
After securing a 27-inch OLED display sale to Hyundai Motor Group's Genesis, LG Display (LGD) also reportedly received a large-sized LCD order from a foreign luxury car brand. This LCD order represents the longest size among LGD's automotive displays and is currently in preparation, with a target to officially begin mass production in the first quarter of 2026.
