Global touch screen shipments are expected to reach 1.75 billion in 2013, up 17.2% on year. Of the shipments, approximately 1.28 billion or 73% are estimated to be for handsets, which will be a 14.2% on-year increase. Shipments for touch screens used in tablets meanwhile are expected to reach 230 million units, up 38.2% on year, while touch screens for PCs are expected to reach 26.33 million in 2013, up 251.3% on year, according to Digitimes Research.

In terms of shipments of touch screen panels used in handsets, resistive touch screen shipments are expected to decrease in 2013 due to Nokia, one of the largest users of the technology, using more projected capacitive touch screen technology in its handsets. Additionally, shipments of embedded touch screen technology are expected to increase during the year since the iPhone 5 uses the technology, added Digitimes Research.

Digitimes Research also said that because the iPad mini uses DITO thin-film type projected capacitive touch screen technology, shipments of glass-on-glass (GG) touch screen technology, which is used in 9.7-inch iPad models, are expected to drop in 2013.