The beginning of 2015 was excellent for Apple as the sales of iPhone 6 and iPhone 5S remained strong. The total shipment of iPhones in the first quarter was over 60 million units, exceeding the market expectations. As the second quarter is drawing to a close, the smartphone market shifts its attention to the next-generation iPhone (iPhone 6S or iPhone 7). Interests on the next iPhone's future sales results are growing as more information about its specs have been leaked to the public.
WitsView, a division of TrendForce, reports TV sales during the Chinese Labor Day holidays posted a yearly decline of 6%. However, TV brand vendors are moving away from strategies that are based on quantity to ones based on quality because of exchange rate fluctuations and shrinking margins. This steady shift in their operation focus is reflected in their increasing demands for the 48-inch and 49-inch panels as well as the 4K panel products. Large-sized TV panels will help consume more panel capacity overall.
The newest display panel shipment report from WitsView, a division of TrendForce, reveals that the combined shipments of the six largest panel makers in April totaled 19.68M units, an 8% monthly decline but a 5.4% increase compared with the same period of the previous year. Among them, only SDC maintained about the same shipment level as with the previous month, whereas the other five saw shipment decline.
Major Chinese panel makers BOE Technology Group Co. (BOE), China Star Optoelectronics Technology (CSOT), and Nanjing CEC-Panda LCD Technology Co. (CEC-Panda) will begin mass production on their new Gen 8.5 fabs at the start of this year’s second quarter, according to the latest observation from WitsView, a division of TrendForce.
The latest panel price report from WitsView, a division of TrendForce, finds the prices for TV panels of mainstream sizes will hold steady in April as Chinese brand vendors are stocking up for Chinese Labor Day sales. Though panel prices are kept to a certain level, brand vendors have revised their shipment downwards and may later face inventory pressure. Therefore, the second quarter outlook after the month of May is more worrisome than upbeat.
