Total shipments of mobile phone displays, including TFT LCD and AMOLED panels, reached 2.01 billion units in 2017, up 3% from 2016, according to preliminary estimates from IHS Markit.
In the growing mobile phone display market, shipments of low-temperature-poly-silicon (LTPS) TFT LCD panels increased by 21% to 620 million units in 2017, compared to the previous year. Shipments of amorphous silicon TFT LCD mobile phone panels declined 4% to 979 million units during the same period. Even though shipments of AMOLED panels jumped in the second half of 2017 thanks to the launch of the iPhone X, combined with the weak demand in the first half, its shipments were up just 3% to 402 million units in 2017.
In the smartphone-use LTPS TFT LCD market, Tianma, a small and medium panel supplier in China, has shown significant growth, expanding its shipments to Chinese smartphone brands, such as Huawei and Xiaomi. In 2017, Tianma shipped 105 million LTPS TFT LCD panels for smartphones, almost doubling its shipments in 2016, with a market share of 17%, up 6% from 2016. It ranked as the second-largest LTPS TFT LCD supplier for smartphones in 2017, overtaking LG Display with 16%, down 4% and Sharp with 13%, down 1%. In 2017, Japan Display continued its market leader position but shed share by 10% to 26% in 2017.
IHS Senior Director Hiroshi Hayase said:
“L
TPS TFT is a key technology to produce high-resolution displays for smartphones and experience is required to optimise highly complex LTPS manufacturing process in each production fab. In terms of experience, Japanese and South Korean panel makers have a competitive advantage compared to Chinese makers. However, Chinese LCD makers, such as Tianma and BOE, are catching up LTPS technology fast enough to support high demand from Chinese smartphone set makers”.
