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MicroLED

SmartKem and Nanosys Enter into Joint Development Agreement

February 7, 2022

SmartKem, a UK-based developer of OTFT backplanes, has entered into a joint development agreement with Nanosys to work on a “new generation of low-cost solution printed MicroLED and quantum dot materials for advanced displays.” Last year, Nanosys acquired glō, a company specialized in MicroLED technologies, including epitaxy as well as device and transfer technology. Nanosys has also been actively developing electroluminescent quantum dot (EL-QD) technology, which the company now calls “NanoLED.”
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TV

LCD TV Panel Price Declines Moderating as Prices Approach Cash Cost

February 7, 2022

LCD TV panel prices, which peaked in summer 2021, fell through the second half of the year and are continuing to fall in the new year. The pace of price decreases is slowing, and we expect that pattern to continue through the first half of the year as prices approach cash cost for some panel makers.
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Financial

Display Fab Utilization Slowing to Alleviate Panel Price Declines

February 7, 2022

With LCD panel prices continuing to fall toward cash costs or even below cash costs, we forecast that display fab utilization will slow in the first half of 2022, according to the latest release of DSCC’s Quarterly All Display Fab Utilization Report issued last week. However, because of capacity increases, even with lower utilization, the industry will have increased input for the first half, suggesting continued pressure on panel prices. In Q4’21, total TFT input for all display makers was down 2% Q/Q and up 9% Y/Y at 86.3M square meters, and in the current Q1’22, we expect total TFT input to be up 1% Q/Q and up 8% Y/Y to 87.1M square meters.
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Mobile

Seasonal Slowdown in Mobile Display Fab Utilization Expected

January 31, 2022

With the seasonal sales peak for smartphones behind us, utilization at mobile display fabs is expected to decrease in Q1 but remain at a higher level than a year ago, according to the latest release of DSCC’s Quarterly OLED and Mobile LCD Fab Utilization Report, issued this week. In Q4’21, total TFT input for all display makers was up 3% Q/Q and 16% Y/Y at 6.5M square meters, and in the current Q1’22, we expect total TFT input to be down 3% Q/Q but still up 15% Y/Y at 6.3M square meters.
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Financial

Panel Maker Q4 Earnings Preview

January 24, 2022

In the next few weeks, we will see the Q4 earnings announcements for flat panel display makers, starting with LG Display on Wednesday, January 26th. Although price declines will likely bring profits down from historically high levels during the summer, we expect that panel makers will report continued profits to close out the most profitable year in the history of the industry.
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TV

CES Review: What is the Landscape for Premium TV in 2022?

January 24, 2022

Now that CES 2022 is in the rear-view mirror, it is a good time to review what the new TV product introductions mean for the premium TV market this year. The arrival of Samsung Display’s QD-OLED heightens the technology battle in the premium TV space, and after a year of unprecedented volatility in LCD TV panel prices, we expect LCD products to become more aggressive as panel prices have come down.
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Events

CES 2022 in Photos

January 20, 2022

There was a lot to see at CES 2022, as I was able to see new technologies with my own eyes. Here are some more notes and pictures from the event.
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Foldable

Latest Insights on Samsung’s Foldable Smartphone Production and Panel Procurement

January 18, 2022

Samsung’s foldable smartphones continue to perform well with December production its second-best month ever at 1.47M, up 3435% Y/Y. The Z Flip 3 accounted for 67% of the total or nearly 1M units. 2021 foldable smartphone production rose nearly 300% to 8.1M units. Korea led Samsung’s demand in 2021 with a 32% share followed by Europe at 31% and the US at 29%. Relative to 2020, the US gained significant share while Europe also remained strong.
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OLED

DSCC’s Latest Report Reveals $63B for OLED Panel Revenue in 2026 - Fueled by Growth from OLED IT Products, OLED TVs and Smartphones

January 18, 2022

DSCC has released its latest Quarterly OLED Shipment Report and has revealed the updated shipment and revenue forecasts for all OLED applications through 2026. DSCC forecasts $63B and an 8% revenue CAGR in OLED panel revenue through 2026, driven by double-digit revenue CAGR growth for notebook PCs, monitors and tablets and a 6% CAGR revenue growth for smartphone and a 9% CAGR revenue growth for OLED TVs.
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Reports

Quantum Dot Displays Start to Diversify Again

January 18, 2022

DSCC has just released its latest Quantum Dot Display Technology and Market Outlook Report. According to the report, the mature QDEF technology will continue to grow in 2022 while new configurations appear, marking a diversification in technologies and materials. Quantum dots (QDs) have been used for nearly a decade to enhance colors in LCD panels. In the early days, OEMs had the choice between two types of configurations: a glass tube designed for edge-lit backlights or an optical film that could fit inside most LCD panels. The latter became known in the industry as QDEF, which stands for Quantum Dot Enhancement Film. Sony and TCL initially went for the glass tube for their premium TVs while Amazon adopted QDEF in its most expensive tablet, the Kindle HDX.
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