Prices of LED replacement light bulbs dipped slightly but on the whole remained steady in May, according to LEDinside, a division of TrendForce. Compared with April, the global ASP of 40-watt equivalent LED light bulbs fell by 1.9% in May to US$6.5. The global ASP of 60-watt equivalent LED light bulbs also dropped by 0.6% in May to US$8.1 versus April.
In April, the global average sales price (ASP) of 40-watt equivalent LED replacement light bulbs rose by 0.2% from the prior month to US$6.6, while the global ASP of 60-watt equivalent LED light bulbs fell by 0.2% from the prior month to US$8.1. The latest report from LEDinside, a division of TrendForce, finds the price trend for LED light bulbs was generally stable through April.
Following Sony’s introduction of CLEDIS (Crystal LED Integrated Structure) displays and Apple’s acquisition of LuxVue, more technology companies are exploring the possibilities of micro-LED in various display applications. LEDinside, a division of TrendForce, reports that there are now nearly 100 private companies and research organizations participating in the development of micro-LED displays. Besides Apple and Sony, there are other major technology brands that invest in micro-LED. Notable cases include the acquisition of InfiniLED by Facebook’s Oculus and the partnership agreement between Ostendo Technologies and KDX. By entering this field in advance, these companies hope to gain favorable positions in the future.
Among the possible new technologies to be incorporated in this year’s refresh of the iPhone series, 3D sensing has generated a lot of interests in terms of applications. A 3D sensing solution requires an RGB camera module an infrared (IR) sensor module that uses VCSEL (vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser) as a light source. With more high-end smartphones adopt 3D sensing, TrendForce estimates that the worldwide market scale of IR sensor modules for mobile devices will reach US$145 million in 2017.
Following LCD and OLED, micro-LED is now one of the next-generation display technologies that are in the spotlight. Besides companies working in the global display supply chain, major technology brands including Apple and Sony are increasingly involved in the development of micro-LED as they are drawn to its possibilities. Currently, those that are engaged in this field aim to bring down the production cost. The latest research from LEDinside, a division of TrendForce, finds that the potential scale of the future micro-LED market – one that would replace the entire current LCD display chain including BLU, polarizer and other components – could reach US$30~40 billion.