The COVID-19 pandemic has had a substantial impact on the LED industry in 2020, resulting in a considerable drop in market demand and a projected yearly revenue of merely US$15.127 billion, a 10% decrease YoY, according to TrendForce’s latest investigations. Although the YoY decline in 2020 represents a magnitude of historic proportions, as COVID vaccines become more widely available in 2021, long-term pent-up market demand will likely rebound from rock-bottom levels, resulting in a forecasted yearly revenue of $15.7 billion for the global LED industry next year, a 3.8% increase YoY.
As Apple’s upcoming release of products featuring Mini LED backlight generates a growth in Mini LED demand, the company has also stimulated actors in the Mini LED supply chain to increase their production capacities. According to the latest investigations by the LEDinside research division of TrendForce, in 1Q21 Apple is expected to not only release its 12.9-inch, Mini LED backlight-equipped iPad Pro, but also open contract bids for its 14-inch and 16-inch MacBooks. Apple has currently chosen Taiwanese manufacturers of display-related components to supply its Mini LED backlights, since Taiwanese suppliers have an advantage in new product development given their superior product stability and technological maturity. Both upstream and downstream suppliers are expected to participate in the Mini LED supply chain, including LED chip manufacturer Epistar, testing and sorting providers FitTech and Saultech, SMT supplier TSMT, and PCB backplane manufacturer Zhen Ding Tech – all of which serve important roles in the development of new Mini LED backlight displays.
