February large-sized panel shipment dropped 1.8% MoM

Due to fewer working days in February, along with the slow season effect and clients’ adjustment of inventory level, the February TV panel shipment declined 10.9% MoM to a total amount of 16.60 million units, similar to the same period last year. The IT panel demand was even weaker as the February monitor panel shipment declined 4.9% MoM to 12.02 million units, sliding 22% from the same period last year. Contrarily, the above 10.1” NB panel market, after the shipment bottom and the lowered basis period in January, showed a 7.6% MoM shipment growth in February to 13.58 million units, but still saw a worrying situation of a 30% drop from the same period last year. The tablet shipment continued to hold growth mainly because the 9.7” panel shipment nearly tripled in February after the January shipment bottom, lifting the tablet shipment to 16.39 million units, growing 4.1% MoM. WitsView’s research manager Jeffy Chen says that the large-sized panel shipment, after the shipment bottom and the low basis period in February, sees a significant shipment leap in all panel applications in March with the emergence of restocking for China’s May 1st holidays and the new sizes and new spec. mass-produced by panel makers. Based on WitsView’s projections, the March TV panel shipment will show a MoM growth as high as 21-22% as it is stimulated by the restocking for China’s May 1st holidays, the demands for 4K2K(UHD) panels of 39”, 50”, 58”, 55”, 65”, as well as the shipment of international brands’ Spring models of new spec. (narrow bezel, slim D-LED TV) . The monitor panel shipment will grow around 16-17% MoM as AUO joins the 19.5” mass-production and some panel makers increase the 18.5” production in response to the dropping supply. On the other hand, the NB and tablet shipments will climb as much as 21% and 12%, respectively. Chen indicates that the tablet panels adopted by main brands apply mostly IPS wide-viewing angle technology, but the shipment ratio between IPS and TN tablet panels has come to 8:2 in February as some PC brands have started to use TN panels to gain the mid and-low end market with low-priced products. The IPS tablet market is mainly controlled by the two Korean makers, holding a 70% market share, while the TN tablet market is almost dominated by Taiwanese makers, such as Innolux, CPT, Hannstar, and AUO, and the four have a market share close to 80%. It clearly reveals that the TN tablet market is growing and brings significant opportunities to Taiwanese makers.