The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated paradigm shifts in work, education, and living for people around the world since the early part of 2020, according to TrendForce’s latest investigations. The proliferation of smart handheld devices has led to strong and consistent growth in the demand for cloud storage and computing. Furthermore, the market penetration of cloud services has risen sharply as enterprises undertake digital transformation projects. On the side of general consumers, there have been changes in online spending habits and advances in business models for e-commerce. At the same time, a new generation of social media platforms has risen. Thanks to these developments, cloud service providers (CSPs) are able to collect huge amounts of consumer data for developing a more diverse range of businesses. As such, TrendForce’s latest survey of the global server market indicates that hyperscale servers already account for almost 40% of the total demand in 4Q20, and the number of hyperscale data centers is now three times of that in the 2012-2014 period.
Since the introduction of Sony’s large-sized modular Micro LED display in 2017, other companies, including Samsung and LG, have successively made advances in Micro LED development, in turn generating much buzz for the technology’s potential in the large-sized display market, according to TrendForce's latest investigations. Emissive Micro LED TVs are expected to arrive on the market between 2021 and 2022. Even so, many technological and cost-related challenges are yet to be solved, meaning Micro LED TVs will remain ultra-high-end luxury products at least during the technology’s initial stage of commercialization.
As the COVID-19 pandemic caused flagship smartphones to turn in lower-than-expected sales performances in 1H20, the market share of AMOLED phones fell short of forecasts made in early 2020, according to TrendForce’s latest investigations. The market share of AMOLED phones for 2020 is expected to reach 33%, a 2% increase YoY, thanks to the release of Apple’s new iPhone 12 models in 2H20. LTPS LCD smartphones are likewise undergoing sluggish demand this year; their market share is projected to reach 38%, a 2% decrease YoY. On the other hand, the majority of smartphone market demand has reemerged for the entry-level and mid-range segments, thereby lending support to the demand for a-Si LCD smartphones, some of which are now in short supply. The market share of smartphones with a-Si displays is estimated to reach 29% this year, remaining relatively unchanged from 2019.
Global monitor shipment is projected to grow by 5.4% YoY this year owing to strong shipment performances against the downtrend by monitor brands that primarily focus on the consumer markets; as of 2020, these brands have experienced three consecutive years of YoY shipment growth, according to TrendForce’s latest investigations. This strong shipment performance can be attributed to several pandemic-related factors, such as the rise of WFH and distance education as well as increasing monitor demand from the stay-at-home economy, and also to persistent purchasing momentum in the North American consumer markets.
As the current mainstream solution for PC DRAM and server DRAM, both of which share the same roots in IC design, DDR4 reached a penetration rate of more than 90% in each of the above two categories in 3Q20, according to TrendForce’s latest investigations. As well, JEDEC finalized the definition of next-generation DDR5 memory in September 2019. Significant increases in the penetration rate of DDR5 PC DRAM is not expected to take place until 2022 at the earliest.