According to the latest report of DRAMeXchange, a division of TrendForce, the global server shipment experienced slight decline in 1Q18, but the demand for CPU, Server DRAM, and other related components remain flat. The demand for server will see obvious recovery in 2Q18, and global server shipment will grow by nearly 10% compared with 1Q18. For 1H18, Dell EMC, HPE, and Inspur will be the top three server suppliers with shipment market shares of 16.6%, 15%, and 7.2% respectively.
The sales of iPhone X turned out to be less than market expectation, so Samsung has lowered the utilization rate of OLED production lines. The tight supply of OLED panels over the past two years has also been eased. According to WitsView, a division of TrendForce, Apple has initiated the trend of OLED panels, and it is estimated that the penetration rate of OLED panel in smartphones will reach 46% by 2021. Mini LED is overwhelmed by OLED’s technology maturity and competitive costs, so it might be hard for Mini LED to grow in the smartphone market in short term.
According to the latest IT panel shipment report of WitsView, a division of TrendForce, the total shipments of PC monitor panels and notebook panels in 2017 were 314.94 million pieces, a YoY increase of 3%. In 2018, IT panel makers will focus on reducing border size, increasing viewing angle and resolution. Vendors also aim to drive shipments through specification upgrade. It is expected that the total shipments of PC monitor panels and notebook panels will reach 326.37 million pieces in 2018, a YoY increase of 3.6%.
MWC 2018 has concluded and major smartphone vendors at the event have unveiled their smartphone lineup for this year, revealing the development trends in smartphone technology and specifications. According to WitsView, a division of TrendForce, full-screen smartphones will become the trend in market this year. The pursuit of narrower bezels and notch designs has emerged, bringing about solutions of under-display fingerprint sensor and applications combining camera modules and facial recognition.
Apple’s launch of iPhone X has led to a wave of 3D sensing technology, bringing its key component—vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL)—into the spotlight. However, the number of VCSEL suppliers with mass production capacity is very limited due to technical barriers, leading to short supply of VCSELs and thus delaying Android camp’s plan to follow suit. TrendForce estimates the penetration rate of 3D sensing in smartphones will grow from 2.1% in 2017 to 13.1% in 2018, while Apple remains the major adopter.
