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Global smartphone production volume for the first quarter of 2017 totaled 307 million units, a drop of 23% from the previous quarter, according to market intelligence firm TrendForce. Smartphone brands, especially those based in China, lowered their production volume forecasts through the first quarter as demand slowed down significantly due to the conventional seasonal effect.
United Semiconductor Xiamen (USCXM), China-based subsidiary of major foundry UMC, is reported to begin production on the 28nm technology licensed from its parent company this second quarter. As international semiconductor companies set up fabrication plants in China, the country’s domestic foundries will face intensifying competition in terms of technology, market share and recruitment of technical personnel. According to the global market intelligence firm TrendForce, Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC) and Shanghai Huali Microelectronics Corporation (HMLC) are the two leaders among Chinese foundries in the development of the 28nm processing. The existence of foreign-owned fabs in China will pressure these two domestic manufacturers to further accelerate their timetables for this technology.
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.
The prices of NOR Flash will go up sequentially by at least 5% on average for every quarter in 2017 as its market benefits from the abundant releases of smartphones featuring AMOLED display during the year, TrendForce reports. Besides the general adoption of AMOLED in the smartphone market, the expansion in the production of ICs for Touch with Display Driver Integration (TDDI) is driving the need for NOR Flash as well. From the supply side, major manufacturers such as Micron and GigaDevice have reduced their NOR Flash production. Tight supply and rising demand therefore will keep prices of NOR Flash on an uptrend to the end of this year.
TrendForce’s latest analysis on China’s semiconductor sector reveals that the country’s domestic IC manufacturers are affecting the movement of industry talents worldwide as they continue to aggressively headhunt for senior managers and engineers. The competition for human resource is becoming fiercer and will reach a critical point this year as numerous new fabs in China are scheduled to start production in the second half of 2018.