Coretronic Corporation reported consolidated revenue of NT$2.856 billion(US$88.53 million) for January 2025, representing a 22% decline from NT$3.675 billion in December 2024 and a 10% drop compared to NT$3.19 billion in January 2024.

Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics face mounting challenges from former US President Donald Trump's tariff policies. South Korean industry insiders warn that if the US imposes a 25% tariff on products manufactured in Mexico, Samsung and LG—both with production bases in the country—will inevitably suffer impacts. Meanwhile, Chinese TV manufacturers may maintain competitive pricing through government subsidies, potentially creating a market advantage over South Korean firms.

Panel procurement momentum, which began in the fourth quarter of 2024, continues to strengthen in 2025, driven by four major factors. Industry experts believe that the first quarter of 2025 could see a strong off-season, while the second quarter remains uncertain. The market outlook for the second half of 2025 appears challenging, as inventory accumulation in the first half could potentially weaken the traditional peak season.

GiantPlus expects a stronger 2025 as demand trends stabilize, despite a seasonal slowdown in the first quarter. Revenue is set to decline from the previous quarter but should stay in line with past first-quarter levels. The panel maker remains upbeat about the year ahead, though quarterly fluctuations may persist.

Suppliers report that China's retaliatory tariffs on American goods will significantly impact total system costs, with monitor prices potentially increasing by 5%. The US market, being one of the largest consumers of monitors globally, faces particular challenges due to the low-margin nature of these products. The tariffs not only raise costs but also affect brand confidence in end-market sales, potentially leading major brands to adopt more conservative shipment targets for 2025.

Innolux is embarking on a comprehensive transformation plan, with General Manager and COO Chu-Hsiang Yang announcing five strategic initiatives for 2025: enhancing operational efficiency through targeted customer engagement, strengthening its display business, advancing packaging technology, expanding value-added manufacturing, and accelerating digital transformation.

Since mid-2024, China's trade-in subsidy program has revived the TV market, with plans for expansion through 2025. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump's volatile tariff policies have kept industry players cautious, maintaining steady TV panel procurement.

The combination of US tariff policies and rising LCD TV panel prices has driven increased demand for monitor panels, including from second-tier buyers. This heightened procurement activity has stabilized LCD monitor panel prices in January, with moderate increases anticipated for February.

According to the latest Samsung Display financial results for 2024, the panel provider registered sales of KRW29.2 trillion (US$19.99 billion), marking only the second time since 2016 that its revenue dipped below KRW30 trillion, reflecting intensifying competition from Chinese manufacturers and declining demand for panels from both smartphones and IT products.

Following a double-digit increase in glass prices, Corning expects to maintain a 25% net profit margin for its Display Technologies business group in 2025.

China has been reported frequently to illegally acquire technology from South Korea in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) semiconductors and displays in the past few years. Moreover, with the advancement of South Korea's neural processing units (NPU), Chinese semiconductor firms have been actively recruiting engineers from South Korean companies or attempting to steal core technologies.

LG Electronics' Indian subsidiary experienced a revenue surge of almost 10% in 2024. The company remains on course with its plans to launch an IPO in India, aiming to take advantage of the market's expansion.

The smartphone panel experienced diverging trends across technologies. LCD panel prices declined by 10% over the year, rigid AMOLED panel prices rose by 10%, and flexible AMOLED panels saw a 5% drop. As of January 2025, pricing across technologies remain flat.

Zhu-Xiang Yang, general manager of Innolux, a major panel manufacturer in Taiwan, wrote a year-end reflection poem about the challenges and outlook for the panel industry:

Glass technology leader Corning and Samsung Electronics have announced a collaboration to introduce Gorilla Armor 2 on the Galaxy S25 Ultra. This innovation marks the industry's first scratch-resistant, anti-glare ceramic glass material designed for mobile devices.

As the global display market rapidly shifts towards OLED technology, South Korea's two major panel manufacturers, Samsung Display (SDC) and LG Display (LGD), are accelerating their efforts to enhance technological capabilities and expand their market presence.

Sharp Corporation is set to announce its fiscal 2024 growth strategy during its earnings presentation in May 2025, covering the period from April 2024 to March 2025. However, key elements of this strategy, such as the CEO-led Innovation Accelerator Project (I-Pro), are already taking shape through ongoing initiatives.

Industry observers anticipate accelerated consolidation among second-tier LCD panel makers as US President Donald Trump prepares to implement new trade policies in his second term.

A recent earthquake in Chiayi, Taiwan has caused partial production disruptions at Innolux, though the situation remains under control. This development, combined with PET material shortages for polarizers, has created supply constraints estimated at 10-15%. These factors have strengthened panel makers' confidence in implementing price increases.

Sharp's ex-CEO Jeng-wu Tai has taken legal actions against Foxconn and its founder Terry Gou, demanding more than NT$1 billion (approx. US$30.52 million) in remuneration from a bonus agreement. While the lawsuit is a "labor dispute," it calls attention to the important role that Sharp's Sakai Display Products (SDP) once played in Japan's LCD panel industry.

Once a trusted lieutenant of Foxconn founder Terry Gou, Jeng-wu Tai, the former vice president of Foxconn and ex-CEO of Sharp Corporation, has recently initiated legal proceedings against his former colleague over an unfulfilled incentive contract.

China's display giant BOE has completed its 11th board election, marking the start of a succession process for the company valued at over CNY160 billion (US$22 billion). At 60 years old, Chairman Yanshun Chen will retain his role but is transferring the CEO position to Qiang Feng, signaling a generational transition.

Jeng-wu Tai, retired vice president of Hon Hai (Foxconn) and ex-CEO of Sharp, has taken legal action against his former employer and Terry Gou, the founder of Hon Hai, over an alleged breach of an incentive agreement. Once a trusted lieutenant of Gou, Tai now seeks legal recourse to address the dispute, which centers on unfulfilled bonus payments tied to Sharp's performance during Gou's tenure as Hon Hai's chairman.

India hits bottlenecks in its efforts toward developing a display manufacturing ecosystem. Tata Electronics is making progress in acquiring Pegatron India and reportedly talking with Android smartphone vendors for contract manufacturing collaboration.

As AI embraces rapid developments, the future of AI-driven lifestyles will rely heavily on display technology. According to Taiwan's Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), display technology is becoming integral to three key AI edge devices: TVs, AR/VR glasses, and smart cockpits. Leveraging the technological advantages of Micro LED, the emerging era of "AI of Things" (AIoT) is set to position Taiwan's display and sensor industries at the forefront of a new market.