Touch panel control IC shipments increased by approximately 30% this year and grew by 15%

The trend of touch panels created by Apple Inc. has grown rapidly, spurring related semiconductor business opportunities. Technology research institute IHSiSuppli said on the 28th that shipments of touch panel control ICs will increase from 865 million to 24 in 2010-2015. Billions, nearly three times the growth rate. This year, shipments are expected to look at 1.7 billion, which is a jump of 28% from 2011. The growth rate will reach double digits in the next two years, and the pace in 2015 will be slightly slower.

However, due to the decline in average selling prices and the decrease in the number of ICs used for each medium-sized panel, the sales growth rate is slow: this year's projected growth of 15% to US$1.5 billion, and will decline after peaking at US$1.6 billion in 2014.

The report also pointed out that mobile devices (based on smart phones and media tablets) are the largest source of demand for touch-related ICs, accounting for 61% of the market in 2011 and projected to further increase to 71% in 2015 the above. This year, the number of electronic products using touch panel control ICs is estimated to reach 1.06 billion, which is almost doubled from 514.9 million two years ago.

Apple’s new iPad sold 3 million units in the first weekend after its launch, and its performance exceeded that of previous records. PiperJaffray Securities analyst Gene Munster estimated that the iPad market will expand to about 176 million units in 2015.

Leading manufacturers of touch panel control ICs include Atmel Corp., Cypress Semiconductor Corp. and Synaptics Inc., while current Asian suppliers such as Lianhe (3034) and Himax Technologies Inc. are all working hard to expand the map.