With more and more smartphones and other portable devices adopting sapphire as cover glass, sapphire ingot vendor Sapphire Technology Company (STC) is looking to double its production capacity to meet the anticipated growth in demand, according to Digitimes Research.STC plans to invest a total of KRW20 billion (US$18.65 million) to double the current capacity of 1.37 million mm a month, said Digitimes Research. After the capacity expansion, STC's share of the global sapphire ingot market is expected to reach 30% from 10% in 2012, Digitimes Research indicated.STC's sapphire ingots have already been adopted by Apple for camera lenses and home button for the iPhones, and by Samsung Electronics and LG for LED sapphire substrates and handset-use camera lens cover, Digitimes Research noted. STC stands a good chance of grabbing more orders from these existing customers, Digitimes Research said.In addition, STC has enjoyed growth in its production utilization rates and rising sapphire ingot prices. STC is expected to utilize more than 80% of its production capacity in the fourth quarter, while the average selling price (ASP) for 2-inch sapphire ingots is set to exceed US$4, Digitimes Research pointed out.Digitimes Research forecasts that STC's revenues will top KRW41.5 billion in the second half of 2013, up from KRW13.7 billion in the first half of the year and KRW22.1 billion in second-half 2012.

Microsoft announced its second-generation tablets, the Surface 2 series on September 23 in New York. Their specifications are similar to those of previous market rumors, while the industrial design also showed no surprises, according to Digitimes Research's findings. Although first-generation Surface RTs had brought an US$900 million inventory adjustment charge to the software giant, and most major brand vendors have already quit developing Windows RT-based products, Microsoft is still aggressive pushing its Surface 2 series tablets. As ASPs for Windows on Intel (WoI) tablets have already reached below US$300, The Surface 2 series' US$449 and above price point is rather unfriendly to consumers. The release of Surface 2 also creates differentiation issues with upcoming Lumia tablets. In addition, Microsoft Office, which the software giant originally expected to help create an distinct advantage for the Windows platform in the mobile market, is seeing trouble becoming standardized. As the company's competitors are providing alternatives, Microsoft has already starting offering Office on other mobile platforms, which is expected to cause even more difficulties for the Windows platform to move forward. Microsoft's current plight is due to its late entry to the mobile market, high product prices, and weak ecosystem compared to its competitors. Microsoft's strategy of developing its tablet operating system using its PC operating system as the base, is the main problem preventing Windows-based tablets becoming standardized, Digitimes Research analyzed. This article is an excerpt from a Chinese-language Digitimes Research report. Click here if you are interested in receiving more information about the content and price of a translated version of the full report.

Second-tier panel makers in China such as Tianma Micro-electronics, CEC-Panda LCD Technology, and Infovision Optoelectronics are continuing to shift their production away from large-size panels to small- to medium-size panel production, according to Digitimes Research.Tianma is moving more towards high value-added production by increasing the volume of smartphone panels it produces as well as further investing in TFT LCD panel lines. Additionally, Tianma has a 5.5G line that will be testing AMOLED production in the second half of 2013, said Digitimes Research.Infovision is also moving towards small- to medium-size panel production while steering away from notebook panel production, most notably in the third quarter of 2013.CEC Panda meanwhile has been largely focused on TV and monitor panel production. However, the company's holding company China Electronics Corporation (CEC) has signed an agreement with Sharp to invest in an 8.5G line that will go into production in 2015 to produce tablet panels and high-resolution PC panels, noted Digitimes Research.

Mobile DRAM bit demand is set to exceed 400 million gigabits (Gb) in the fourth quarter of 2013, up 35.5% on quarter and over 70% on year, according to Digitimes Research.DRAM bit demand for smartphones will rise to 334 million Gb in the fourth quarter of 2013, up 39.1% sequentially and 92.1% on year, while that for tablets will increase 41.9% on quarter and 40.5% from a year ago to 65.8 million Gb, Digitimes Research said.Mobile DRAM will spur a 26.8% increase in overall DRAM bit demand in 2013, Digitimes Research noted. Overall mobile DRAM bit demand is forecast to reach 1.28 billion Gb in 2013, up 74.8% from 733.5 million Gb in 2012, Digitimes Research said.Overall niche-market DRAM bit demand will come to 502.8 million Gb in the fourth quarter of 2013, representing growth of 29.1% on quarter and 61.7% on year, Digitimes Research projected. In all of 2013, the bit demand is forecast to total about 1.53 billion Gb, up 65% from 926.8 million Gb in 2012, Digitimes Research said.The overall DRAM market, which consists of PC- and server-use DRAM, and niche-market memory, is forecast to consume 4.145 billion Gb in 2013, according to Digitimes Research.This article is an excerpt from a Chinese-language Digitimes Research report. Click here if you are interested in receiving more information about the content and price of a translated version of the full report.*Consisting of DRAM parts for desktops, notebooks/netbooks and upgrade modules for PCs**Consisting of mobile DRAM, specialty DRAM and graphics RAMSource: Digitimes Research, September 2013

Standard DRAM bit demand is set to decline 3.5% sequentially in the fourth quarter of 2013, due to stagnant sales of desktops and notebooks and slowing growth in PC memory content, according to Digitimes Research.DRAM bit demand for PCs consisting of desktops, notebooks/netbooks and upgrade modules for PCs will slip to 4.4 billion gigabits (Gb) in the fourth quarter of 2013, down from 4.564 billion Gb in the prior quarter, but up from 4.156 billion Gb a year ago, said Digitimes Research. In all of 2013, overall standard DRAM bit demand is forecast to rise 6.8% on year to 17.34 billion Gb, Digitimes Research indicated.The anticipated 6.8% growth for 2013 is higher than the 5.7% increase posted in 2012, but far less optimistic compared to 2010 when standard DRAM bit demand climbed 39.8%, Digitimes Research observed.The growing popularity of tablets and other mobile devices has been hurting traditional PC sales, Digitimes Research noted. Meanwhile, average DRAM content per PC has witnessed a slowing in growth, Digitimes Research said.In addition, a recent rally in DRAM prices is likely to decelerate the growth of DRAM content in notebooks, Digitimes Research indicated. DRAM prices have rallied since September on speculation that global supply might be constrained due to SK Hynix' production shortfalls.Growth in DRAM bit demand for desktops will slow to 2.6% in 2013, compared to growth of 11.6% in 2012 and 23.6% in 2011, Digitimes Research said. For notebooks, the DRAM bit demand growth will reach 16.6% in 2013, higher than 8.9% in 2012, but far lower than the 51.5% increase posted in 2010, Digitimes Research disclosed.This article is an excerpt from a Chinese-language Digitimes Research report. Click here if you are interested in receiving more information about the content and price of a translated version of the full report.

Shipments of tablet-use application processors to the China market are set to register growth of 24.9% sequentially and 53.3% on year in the third quarter of 2013, according to Digitimes Research. The top-3 suppliers - Allwinner, Rockchip and MediaTek - are expected to contribute a combined 70.2% to the overall tablet AP shipments to China in the third quarter, Digitimes Research indicated. Allwinner is forecast to ship a total of seven million tablet APs to the China market in the third quarter, up 16.7% on quarter, Digitimes Research said. Shipments of single-core solutions will continue to account for more than 70% of Allwinner's shipments in the third quarter, Digitimes Research added. Rockchip's tablet AP shipments to China are set to total about six million units in the third quarter, rising by 33% sequentially, while MediaTek's shipments will increase by a larger 42.9% on quarter to five million units, Digitimes Research said. Buoyed by new orders placed by China-based brand tablet companies, MediaTek has enjoyed significant growth in third-quarter shipments, Digitimes Research noted. MediaTek's share of the China tablet AP market is expected to reach 19.5% in the third quarter, compared with 16.7% in the second quarter and only 1.2% in third-quarter 2012, according to Digitimes Research. This article is an excerpt from a Chinese Digitimes Research report. Click here if you are interested in receiving more information about the content and price of a translated version of the full report.

China-based panel maker BOE is expected to see 4.7% on-year growth for its small- to medium-size panel shipments in 2013, which is also expect to boost revenues for each of its fabs, according to Digitimes Research.BOE has focused more on producing products for use in smartphone and tablet applications in 2013, making it the largest producer of small- to medium-size panels in China. BOE also has close relations with Samsung Electronics and major handset vendors in China such as Lenovo, which is expected to bring the company overall increased handset panel shipments in 2013 as well.In terms of 9-inch and below panel products used in tablet applications, BOE expects to see its shipments increase 174.7% on year due to increased orders from major vendors such as Samsung as well as to increased orders from white-box vendors, added Digitimes Research.BOE also has plans to increase the proportion of production for small- to medium-size panels at its 6G and 8.5G lines as it continues to benefit from shipments of the products, noted Digitimes Research.Digitimes Research also said Tianma Micro-electronics expects to see 3.8% on-year growth in handset panel shipments during 2013 largely due to shifting away from feature phone panel production in 2012 to mostly smartphone panel production in 2013.However, Tianma is likely to see a decrease in panel shipments for tablet applications due to competition from BOE as well as to lack of capacity expansion, which is not expected to occur until 2014 on a 5.5G fab run by the company, said Digitimes Research.

Samsung Electronics has put its R&D focus on 14nm FinFET process development, looking to snatch A9 chip orders from Apple, according to Digitimes Research. Apple is believed to have informed Samsung about not placing orders for 20nm A8, said Digitimes Research. The South Korea-based firm is still making other processors, including the new A7 chip, for Apple. Apple remains Samsung's biggest foundry customer. Therefore, losing the opportunity of supplying A8 chips to Apple may result in some idle capacity that Samsung may have to fill starting mid-2014, Digitimes Research indicated. To avoid the risk of idle capacity, Samsung is aggressively pursuing new customers, including Qualcomm and Nvidia, Digitimes Research said. Samsung currently has four plants engaged in the manufacture of non-memory ICs with a combined monthly capacity of about 110,000 12-inch wafers. Its plant in Austin, US produces 40,000 wafers a month. In addition, Samsung has resumed the construction of its Line-17 fab in Hwaseong, South Korea, which was put off previously. The new logic fab is expected to kick off volume production between the end of 2013 and early-2014, Digitimes Research said. Samsung's planned Line-17 fab will mainly produce advanced 20nm and 14nm chips, and bring in an additional 50,000 12-inch wafers in capacity per month, Digitimes Research noted. This article is an excerpt from a Chinese Digitimes Research report. Click here if you are interested in receiving more information about the content and price of a translated version of the full report.

Taiwan panel makers are continuing to focus more on LED edge-lit 50-inch and above size LCD TV panels in order to allow vendors to make thinner and lighter TV units, according to Digitimes Research. The panels also have a more even light spread, which will help give TV units improved quality in addition to a thinner designs a major factor in competing with other high-end TV technology, said Digitimes Research. Meanwhile, in terms of other LED lighting applications, LED street lights are expected to boom in China throughout 2013 at 1.32 million units to comprise 32% of global shipments. Digitimes Research said the increase in China is due to local government policy that is pushing the use of LED street lights throughout various regions. This article is an excerpt from a Chinese Digitimes Research report. Click here if you are interested in receiving more information about the content and price of a translated version of the full report.

Digitimes Research estimates that LCD TV shipments in China will reach 43.5 million units in 2013, up 11% on year. Shipments of the technology reached around 23 million units in the first half of the year and are expected to reach 20.5 million in the second half, said Digitimes Research. Market estimates originally put the year-end total slightly higher than 43.5 million units, but due to energy-saving subsidies that provided LCD TV purchase funding to local consumers coming to an end in mid-2013, shipments are expected to drop in the second half of 2013 despite the time traditionally being a busier TV purchasing period. Digitimes Research added that the shipments are likely to grow about 5% on year in 2014. However, such estimates could be altered if the China government were to issue a new wave of subsidies, which are reportedly under discussion. This article is an excerpt from a Chinese Digitimes Research report. Click here if you are interested in receiving more information about the content and price of a translated version of the full report.