Mass production of large displays and wearable devices is propelling the Micro LED market. TrendForce predicts that the market value of Micro LED chips will reach $27 million in 2023, indicating a YoY growth of 92%. With the scaling of existing application shipments and the introduction of new applications, it’s projected that the market value of Micro LED chips will approach $580 million in 2027, representing a CAGR of approximately 136% from 2022 to 2027.
TrendForce has reported a significant decline in global LED demand throughout 2022, resulting in a noticeable downturn in both LED lighting and video wall markets. The industry was faced with an LED chip surplus, which led to a continuous drop in prices throughout the year.
According to TrendForce, Apple is expected to adopt Micro LED for its consumer electronic products in the close future. The Apple Watch will likely be the first among Apple’s products to feature a Micro LED display, and the adoption is anticipated to occur in 2024. Then, during the period from 2026 to 2030, the application scope of Micro LED could expand to encompass AR headset displays, smartphone displays, automotive displays, etc.
According to TrendForce’s latest research, shipments of Mini LED backlit automotive display modules are estimated to total around 140,000 units this year because of their use by European, Chinese, and US carmakers.
Ennostar’s subsidiary Epistar and PlayNitride’s wholly-owned subsidiary PlayNitride Display have announced that they have teamed up to build a production line for 6-inch Micro LED epi-wafers. Looking at the latest progress in the development of Micro LED, large-sized displays are regarded as the forerunners to the more advanced end products. Even though Micro LED has unresolved technological bottlenecks and cost-related issues, TrendForce is optimistic that this technology will eventually be adopted for the development of different kinds of displays and end products. Examples include transparent AR smart glasses, displays for wearable devices like smartwatches, automotive displays such as those embedded in a smart cockpit, and other transparent display products. Furthermore, the latest efforts in product development will likely create new high-end applications for Micro LED. TrendForce currently forecasts that the value of the market for Micro LED chips used in displays will reach US$542 million in 2024. Afterwards, the market will experience soaring growth starting in 2025 on account of the maturation of technologies.
