According to WitsView, a division of TrendForce, the market has witnessed stronger demand for full-screen smartphones while higher screen-to-body ratio has become a major trend of this year. In order to make bezels narrower, drive ICs for mid- and high-end phones have been switching from solutions based on Chip-on-Glass (COG) packaging to those on Chip-on-Film (COF) packaging. With major smartphone vendors actively adopting COF solutions, the percentage of models using COF packaging would account for 35% of the global smartphone market in 2019, a significant increase from 16.5% in 2018.
According to the latest report - New Display Technology Cost Analysis - by WitsView, a division of TrendForce, Mini LED technology has made constant process over the past year, with a significant increase in production output (in unit per hour, UPH) and die bond accuracy. Looking ahead to 2019, WitsView expects a high possibility of the mass production of products with Mini LED backlighting. The processing costs of display units may increase by 20%~100% depending on the number of Mini LED used.
In this release, TrendForce provides predictions of the information and communication technology industry for 2019, focusing on 10 key themes. Some of these themes continue from last year but will show significant evolution in the upcoming year.
The shipments of LCD monitor are projected to reach 126 million units in 2018, a YoY growth of 1.5%, after seven years of decline, according to WitsView, a division of TrendForce. The main drivers of shipment growth include the falling panel prices and rising demand from North America. The strong sales in niche segments like gaming and borderless monitor also offer growth momentum.
WitsView, a division of TrendForce, reports that the large-sized panels witnessed slashed demand in the first quarter with decreased panel shipment by area, but the oversupply was eased in 2Q18 as the demand recovered and the supply (glass output by area) dropped. In the third quarter, the enhanced stocking-up demand in a peak season has reversed the over-supply trend. However, WitsView reports higher risks of panel price decline in 4Q18, for the end demand may gradually slide in the upcoming quarter while panel makers keep on targeting full utilization rates.
