Everyone knows tablets are hot, but it is surprising to see that tablets were far and away the most-mentioned topic in media coverage from CES. In a presentation called “Trends to Watch from the 2012 CES,” Shawn Dubravac of the CEA showed data from Simply Measured: with the exception of ultrabooks, tablet mentions were almost 3 times any of the other key CES trends (6,126 for tablets vs. 4,060 for ultrabooks and 2,261 for OLED). And Apple didn’t even participate in the event!
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Author Archives: Charles Annis
About Charles Annis
Charles is Vice President, Manufacturing Research for DisplaySearch. He tracks and forecasts FPD investments, analyzing emerging technologies and PV research.
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Polysilicon Spot Prices Fall to $20-25/Kg in China
By Charles Annis and Ray Lian
Polysilicon prices have a history of dramatic changes, but until recently, polysilicon prices had held up better than wafer and module prices. This encouraged continued capacity expansion despite growing concerns of over-supply throughout the supply chain. Now, sluggish end-market demand in 2011 has exacerbated the glut, and severe price erosion since mid-September suggests the poly bubble has now fully burst.
Samsung and LG Display Consider Moving Gen 8 Equipment from Korea to China
Recent reports suggest both Samsung and LG Display are evaluating the option of moving currently installed Gen 8 equipment from their Korean fabs to the new fabs they have been planning on building in China in 2012 and 2013. As analyzed in our recent Quarterly FPD Supply/Demand and Capital Spending Report, there are a variety of potential benefits as well as negatives with this “Move to China” strategy.
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Super High Resolution FPDs: The Future of Better Image Quality
The release of Apple’s iPhone 4 in June 2010, and its subsequent enormous commercial success, ushered in the age of super high resolution (SHR) FPDs, proving that consumers literally see the value of high resolution.
High resolution enables some 3D technologies, allowing viewing of larger displays at the same distance and improving the viewing experience of smart TV. But most importantly, high resolution appeals to all FPD users because it provides smoother, higher quality images.
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Sharp’s Announcement on Oxide TFT LCDs: Technology Breakthrough or Attempt to Change the Subject?
Recently, Sharp has been the subject of many news stories and rumors about its LCD business, and the company has tried to take control of the discussion with several announcements. The rapid-fire news emphasizes the challenges the company faces, as well as highlights the technical prowess of the last remaining top tier Japanese LCD maker. Consider the following:
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