May 23, 2012 — Active matrix small/medium displays, less than 9”, recorded 2 billion worldwide shipments (units) in 2011, up 6% over 2010, said NPD Displaysearch.
Mobile phones saw highest growth, from 1.4 billion to 1.5 billion, largely due to use of active-matrix small/medium displays in smartphones. Smartphones cannibalized digital still camera (DSC) and portable media player (PMP) demand, which tempered the by-unit growth rate of these displays to 6%. Smartphone demand also pushed displays into larger and wider screen form factors, higher resolutions, and wider viewing angles. More active-matrix small-medium displays are touchscreens because of smartphone requirements.
Active-matrix small/medium displays are made of active-matrix organic light-emitting diodes (AMOLED), electrophoretic (AMEPD), and thin-film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT LCD) technologies — all had double-digit revenue growth in 2011. AMOLED had 182% Y/Y growth. AMEPD rode e-reader demand to 43% Y/Y growth. TFT LCD revenues grew 19%, with the low-temperature polysilicon (LTPS) form of TFT LCD used in smart phones growing at 36% Y/Y.
For the whole active-matrix small/medium displays sector, revenue went up 29% to $28 billion in 2011, reflecting a shift to higher-performance/price displays. Consumers in general, and smartphone buyers in particular, will pay a premium for better displays, said Hiroshi Hayase, NPD DisplaySearch VP of small/medium display research.
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| Figure 1. Active-matrix small/medium displays, shipment by application. SOURCE: NPD DisplaySearch Quarterly Small/Medium Shipment and Forecast Report. |
As expected, Samsung Mobile Display (SMD) retained the top position for the second year in a row, claiming 17.2% of the market share for active-matrix small/medium displays in 2011, primarily due to increased AMOLED in smartphones. Following SMD, Sharp and Chimei Innolux kept the second and third positions in 2011, securing 13.5% and 9.5% of the market share, respectively.
Toshiba, Sony, and Hitachi all entered the small/medium AMFPD market, under a venture named Japan Display Inc. (JDI). Although the company started operations in April 2012, a review of 2011 figures indicates that a combination of Toshiba, Sony and Hitachi market shares total 17.2%, the exact same percentage as the 2011 share held by marketplace leader SMD. JDI could emerge as a new leading company in the small/medium FPD marketplace in 2012.
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| Figure 2. Revenue share of small/medium AMFPD by FPD maker in 2011. SOURCE: NPD DisplaySearch Quarterly Small/Medium Shipment and Forecast Report. |
The NPD DisplaySearch Quarterly Small/Medium Shipment and Forecast Report covers the entire range of small/medium (<9.0”) displays shipped worldwide and regionally. The report analyzes historical shipments and projects forecasts. The Quarterly Small/Medium Shipment and Forecast Report now offers advanced features that allow users to track data by viewing-angle and 3D capabilities. NPD DisplaySearch is a global market research and consulting firm specializing in the display supply chain, as well as the emerging photovoltaic/solar cell industries.