Touch screen shipments up by 30%

In its Q4’10 Touch Panel Market Analysis update, DisplaySearch indicates that the worldwide touch screen industry is on track for more than 30% Y/Y growth in 2010.

The report includes shipment and revenue data for the first half of 2010, and estimates for the second half of the year for 32 touch screen suppliers.

“Despite the worldwide economic downturn and sluggish recovery in 2010, total touch panel shipments had almost 30% growth in 2009, and this segment is on track for healthy growth again in 2010,” noted Jennifer Colegrove, of Emerging Display Technologies for DisplaySearch.

Penetration of touch screens in medium- and large-size electronic devices such as mini-note/slate PCs and gaming is rapidly increasing.

The mini-note/slate PC category was the fastest growing application for touch screens in 2010, with 6.3 million shipped in the first half. Touch suppliers were optimistic about this application, with more than 20 million units planned in the second half of the year.

There is uncertainty about the timing, as some shipments may be delayed to Q1’11. A majority of the mini-note/slate PC touch shipments are from Wintek, who led in the segment, followed by TPK Touch Solutions.

Other key findings include:

• touch screen growth differs by region, due to the differing focus by touch screen technology and customer base. Taiwan is the leading region in terms of shipments and revenues. Taiwan’s share of worldwide touch screen shipments accounted for 43.5% in 2009;
• China’s top touch-module makers took advantage of the growing local consumer and commercial market, which resulted in their forecast shipments increasing nearly 39% Y/Y in 2010. However, most Chinese touch suppliers are manufacturing resisti-type touch screens and projected capacitive capacity is still limited to factories built by Taiwanese and Japanese suppliers;
• touch controller IC suppliers in the US and Europe reached record shipments in 2010;
• optical imaging touch is evolving, as suppliers work with LCD panel makers to try to reduce the bezel thickness, in the hopes of increasing adoption;
• infrared-type touch screens were adopted by e-books in 2010;
• in 2010, projected capacitive was expected to become the leading touch technology in terms of revenue.