Taiwan-based makers' server-related revenues are expected to climb 7.6% on year in 2021, buoyed by growing demand from cloud service operators, while global server shipments will pick up 5.6% on year.
China government has always attached great importance to advances of the semiconductor sector, but semiconductors' vital role to industrial and national development is clear amid the country's trade war with the US. This Digitimes Research Special Report reviews the results of China's efforts to build its semiconductor ecosystem during the 13th 5-year Plan (2015-2020), and looks at the plans set out in its 14th 5-year Plan (2021-2025) to raise China's IC self-sufficiency.
Notebook and tablet shipments are both expected to increase from a year ago in 2020 due to demand from stay-at-home activities, while those of smartphones will slip. In 2021, notebook shipments will stay flat on year, but tablet will decline, while smartphone volumes will rise thanks to 5G's commercialization.
The coronavirus outbreak has resulted in labor shortages and shipment disruptions in China's supply chain, but Digitimes Research believes if the epidemic gets under control, China-based top-4 smartphone brands' shipments are expected to drop 19.5% on year in the first quarter of 2020, while smartphone AP shipments to China will fall 11.4% on year during the period.
The coronavirus outbreak has disrupted production and weakened consumer confidence, with all ICT sectors bracing for major declines in shipments. Digitimes Research has conducted analyses on three mobile device sectors, namely notebooks, smartphones and tablets in the wake of the outbreak. The Special Report offers the latest updates about production statuses and shipments outlook for 2020 for each of the three sectors.
Digitimes Research estimates that global server shipments moderately declined 1.4% in 2019 but will turn to show positive growth of 6.6% in 2020, totaling 16.01 million units.
Mini LEDs and micro LEDs are expected to become improved backlighting solutions that can significantly enhance displays' quality and create added value in the upcoming years.
Global small- to medium-size LCD panel shipments are estimated to drop from 2020 to 2024, while large-size ones will continue enjoying growths through 2020, but start slipping in 2021.
Notebooks, smartphones and tablets are expected to see mixed shipment performances in 2019. Notebook shipments will grow mildly while smartphones and tablets will both see shipments drop. In 2020, only smartphone shipments are expected to grow.
According to Digitimes Research's observation, with global market demand on a moderate increase in second-quarter 2019, Taiwan-based semiconductor foundries showed recovery. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC) and Vanguard International Semiconductor Corporation (VIS) together generated total revenues of US$9.13 billion in the second quarter, up 8.9% on quarter but down 2.5% on year.
Global all-in-one (AIO) PC shipments will continue shrinking in 2019, following 2018's around 2% on-year drop. With issues such as US-China trade tensions and Intel's CPU shortages, and Lenovo and Apple having been cutting their orders, Taiwan makers are also expected to see their related shipments to be impacted.
