Electronics Production |
Shipments of small displays rise in June
Despite a small rise in shipments in June driven by demand for smartphones and tablets, the worldwide market for SMD panels is continuing to struggle with overall weak sales in the third quarter, according to IHS iSuppli.
Shipments of SMD panels, i.e. panels sized 1.0 to 9.x inches, climbed slightly in June to 188.5 million units, up 1% from 186.6 million in May. This marked the first sequential monthly increase since March.
Amid strong demand, pricing for SMD panels for tablets is remaining high. Tablet prices in the third quarter for 7.0-inch and 9.7-inch panels will average USD 53 and USD 65 respectively.
In contrast, prices are declining for SMDs used in digital still cameras and personal navigation devices as demand decreases.
Among SMD panel manufacturers, fab utilization rates for the Taiwanese will average 61% in the third quarter, up from 55% at the end of June. Utilization rates are much higher among the Koreans, remaining at full capacity for LG Display and at 85% for Samsung Mobile Display.
