TrendForce notes that the original suppliers for the Apple Watch included ams OSRAM for Micro LED vertical chips from its 8-inch factory in Malaysia and South Korean panel giant LG Display for the glass driving backplane and mass transfer processes. Now, with the partnership dissolved, the 2026 debut seems increasingly out of reach.
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.
Display panel prices exhibited a remarkable QoQ increase in 3Q20, a rare occurrence in recent years, according to TrendForce’s latest investigations. In particular, prices for NB (notebook computer) panels increased by 5-10% QoQ during the quarter, while the corresponding increase in TV panel prices reached above 30%. Since the supply of large-sized panels is expected to exceed demand by a mere 0.2% in 4Q20, the shortage situation for certain panel applications is expected to persist, meaning panel prices may potentially increase by as much as 10% QoQ in 4Q20.
TV panel prices have been maintaining their upswing in August, with 55-inch panels and 32-inch panels each registering price hikes of about 10%, according to TrendForce’s latest investigations. IT panel prices have also been gradually rising, thanks to stable demand from end-markets. Most panel manufacturers are thus expected to make a rebound out of the seven consecutive quarterly losses they had previously suffered and finally turn a profit, in either August or September. As such, the panel industry is projected to make a significant improvement in terms of profitability in 3Q20.
According to the latest investigations by TrendForce’s Department of Display Research, the market demand for display panels has been surging in recent months. In particular, after the 2Q20 period of sluggish purchasing momentum as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the TV panel market has seen its demand rebound quickly, in turn resulting in a higher-than-expected spike in TV panel quotes in July. Other than 75-inch panels, prices for all sizes of TV panels are likely to go into a noticeable uptrend in July, with a projected 8-10% MoM increase in 32-inch and 55-inch panels. Prices for 43-inch, 50-inch, and 65-inch panels, which are panel sizes with equally strong demand momentum, are expected to see average hikes of 6-8%, resulting in a rarely seen bull market for the display panel industry in recent years.
