At the Apple Event 2023, the new Apple Watch product line was unveiled as the first-ever carbon-neutral product of the US consumer electronics giant and became one of the spotlights of the day. Originally, Apple was planning to reach the goal of 100% carbon-neutrality of its supply chain by 2030. Now with Apple Watch hitting the goal first, the supply chain partners of Apple's MacBooks, iPhones, etc., will have to get ready for the rigorous alignment.
Despite the ongoing slump in the smartphone market, shipments of display panels are showing signs of steady recovery. Industry insiders are also eyeing a potential price hike, especially for flexible AMOLED panels. This upturn may gain momentum following Apple's iPhone 15 launch, boosting the negotiating power of panel suppliers.
According to Andrew Ho, general manager of Corning Display Technologies Taiwan, precision glass plays a crucial role in emerging display technologies. In his opinion, LCDs will continue to dominate the market thanks to mini LED technology. With OLEDs seeing cost improvements, and the rapid emergence of micro LEDs, these three technologies are expected to be at the forefront in the display market.
InnoCare Optoelectronics Corporation (InnoCare) is working to grow its automated X-ray inspection (AXI) business. This includes expanding outside of the healthcare industry and finding more applications for the components and modules it produces. InnoCare General Manager Eric Lee estimated that shipments of AXI will exceed ten units this year and double in 2024.
The sluggish sales of TVs and notebooks have prompted display driver IC (DDI) backend houses and related backend materials suppliers to be cautious about demand in the second half of this year while keeping their fingers crossed for demand recovery in 2024.
Taiwan-based display driver IC (DDI) suppliers are bracing for a lackluster third quarter, with many reporting August revenue that was roughly comparable to the previous month, according to industry sources.
Liquid crystal display (LCD) panel prices continued to rise in August, benefiting four major Taiwanese panel manufacturers' revenue growth. However, since the momentum of subsequent LCD panel price quotation hikes has slowed down, and demand is also seen weakening, the prices of LCD panels may slide again in Q4, and the utilization rate of the panel production lines in Q4 may be lower than in Q3.
Touch panel module specialists have seen customers delay shipments of their new products until the fourth quarter, signifying a particularly weak third quarter, according to industry sources.
US-based specialty glass supplier Corning reportedly plans to invest KRW 2 trillion (US$1.5 billion) to set up a bendable glass manufacturing plant in South Korea, targeting immense business opportunities from mobile phones, IT and automotive applications.
InnoCare Optoelectronics (INCX), a subsidiary of panel maker Innolux that specializes in the development of flat panels for medical applications, is collaborating with Smart Chain Enterprises to provide one-stop industrial non-destructive testing (NDT) services for advanced packaging and compound semiconductors.
As Apple has decided that the next-generation iPad Pro's 11-inch and 13-inch products will both adopt the OLED display panel, supply chain partners have already started to expand their touch panel capacity quietly so that they will be able to meet the demand of the new iPad Pro's launch, scheduled in the mid or second half of 2024.
Leading optical film manufacturer Wah Hong Industrial has announced its intent to expand its factory space, a move signaling the company's aggressive push into next-generation technologies. The company has been approved to move into Ciaotou Science Park, even as it evaluates alternative locations for expansion. The company hopes to start construction in 2-3 years.
After experiencing a half-year surge, LCD TV panel prices continue to show an uptick in late August. However, as the end of the third quarter approaches, industry insiders anticipate that the price rally will taper off in September. However, specific panel sizes may continue to see price increments.
The collaboration between LG Display (LGD) and Mercedes-Benz on automotive OLED panels is expected to help accelerate adoption of OLED technology in the automotive industry, according to sources at Taiwanese IC design houses.
Taiwan-based active-matrix (AM) miniLED flexible display provider PanelSemi, a subsidiary of Innolux, has partnered with E Ink, RapidSignage, and TopRGB Opto to release AM miniLED display, e-paper digital signage and e-paper tag solutions for a bookstore in southern Taiwan.
Lai Ju Chen, chairman of the Taiwan Perovskite Research and Industry Association (TPRIA), said Taiwan has great potential in developing the third-generation perovskite solar cells (PSC). Taiwan holds advantages in the semiconductor, photovoltaics, and panel industries and its expertise is increasingly demanded due to geopolitical factors.
LTPS handset panel prices started rising in August, while a-Si handset panel prices have stopped falling in the month and stabilized and may increase slightly in September, according to industry observers citing data from CINNO Research. DIGITIMES Research's Chinese smartphone brand shipment figures also exhibited quarter-after-quarter growth in the second half of 2023.
Apple, Nvidia, and Pixar have recently formed alliance for OpenUSD (AOUSD), which aims to drive open standards for 3D tools and data. This strategic move has been interpreted as a potential indicator that the trajectory of 3D technology's development is poised to become mainstream in the coming years, laying a solid groundwork for the evolution of XR. Chairman Tom Liang of Jorjin Technologies has astutely observed that the cross between AR and VR could occur within a span of 3 to 5 years, potentially triggering a transformative revolution in human-machine interaction.
Color-changing e-paper was applied to a BMW concept car, which made the technology a hit. Later, kitchen brand Kohler applied it to a toilet, which was also refreshing, and now the latest color-changing e-paper has been applied to Xiaomi's newly released robotic dog, which is once again attracting attention.
E Ink, a major e-paper manufacturer recently made the third revision to its annual revenue estimate with the number going from a double-digit on-year growth to a flat or a single-digit decline.
Amid escalating US-China tensions, compaines in both Taiwan and China are eyeing investment opportunities in South and Southeast Asia. Taiwan's AUO is expanding into Vietnam, while Innolux is partnering with Vedanta in India for an LCD factory. China's major panel factories like BOE, TCL China Star Optoelectronics Technology (TCL CSOT), and HSK are investing in the region. These moves reflect a strategic shift in the display industry, positioning the region as an emerging essential production base for electronic products such as smartphones and laptops. Investment in the area is appealing to the suppliers given the population dividends, tariff incentives, subsidies, and lower labor costs.
