Over the next five years the wearables industry will continue to develop applications ranging from smartwatches, smart wristbands and various facial applications, and will primarily rely on AMOLED technology for displays due to its flexible and energy-saving features, according to Digitimes Research.
China panel makers BOE and Tianma Microelectronics are aiming to mass produce Full HD displays with in-cell LTPS TFT LCDs and TDDI (touch with display driver) technology for handsets but are currently unable to do so beyond displays equipped with HD resolution, according to Digitimes Research.
Lenovo's smartphone shipments in first-quarter 2015 reached only 8-9 million units, lower than the volume that Digitimes Research had previously estimated and about the same as the level a year ago due to high inventory built up during the fourth quarter of 2014...
Microsoft launched its latest Windows licensing fee subsidy program for Windows 8.1 in March which expanded the coverage of notebook models, adjusted subsidies, canceled the previous project's US$249 end-price ceiling, and made eMMC a standard specification for entry-level products, according to Digitimes Research's new report about Microsoft licensing.
March average retail pricing for 7W LED light bulbs (equivalent to 40W incandescents) in the China market decreased 21.4% on month to CNY29.10 (US$4.70), while 9W models (equivalent to 60W incandescents) slipped 11.6% to CNY38.80, according to Digitimes Research.
China's smartphone shipments are expected to have dropped over 30% sequentially in the first quarter due to decreased export shipment. China's first- and second-tier brand vendors were still digesting inventories for the domestic market from the previous quarter and China's small regional brand vendors posted results far weaker than expected performances.
Lenovo is expected to ship less than 10 million smartphones in the first quarter of 2015 due to high inventories left over from the previous quarter as well as its marketing strategy and pricing for Lenovo- and Motorola-brand products, according to Digitimes Research.
China panel makers are continuing to move toward production of TFT Oxide displays for use in large-size applications in addition to AMOLED, with Tianma Microelectronics starting to make some of the biggest shifts, according to Digitimes Research's observations at the China 2015 FDP exhibition.
Based on recent product displays and talks with representatives at Tianma Optoelectronics at the FPD China 2015 exhibition, the company is actively pursuing OLED and LTPS TFT LCD production and expects new facilities to enter production by late 2015, according to Digitimes Research.
