Taiwan shipped a total of 72.25 million large-size LCD panels in the first quarter of 2021, down only 3.4% sequentially, despite the quarter being a slow season.

Taiwan's small- to medium-size panel shipments only went down 2.4% sequentially in the first quarter of 2021, thanks mainly to better-than-expected smartphone panel demand, despite seasonal factors and fewer working hours as a result of the Lunar New Year holidays.

First-quarter 2021 global tablet shipments amounted to 35.96 million units, down 22.7% from a quarter ago but up 45.5% from a year ago.

First-quarter 2021 smartphone AP shipments to China-based vendors amounted to 212 million units, maintaining a similar level to the prior quarter and soaring 56.9% from a year ago.

Taiwan-based makers' server-related revenues are expected to climb 7.6% on year in 2021, buoyed by growing demand from cloud service operators, while global server shipments will pick up 5.6% on year.

China government has always attached great importance to advances of the semiconductor sector, but semiconductors' vital role to industrial and national development is clear amid the country's trade war with the US. This Digitimes Research Special Report reviews the results of China's efforts to build its semiconductor ecosystem during the 13th 5-year Plan (2015-2020), and looks at the plans set out in its 14th 5-year Plan (2021-2025) to raise China's IC self-sufficiency.

Global large-size LCD panel shipments will fall at a CAGR of -0.3% 2020 through 2025, while shipments of small-to-medium-size panels will be at 0.14%.

Notebook and tablet shipments are both expected to increase from a year ago in 2020 due to demand from stay-at-home activities, while those of smartphones will slip. In 2021, notebook shipments will stay flat on year, but tablet will decline, while smartphone volumes will rise thanks to 5G's commercialization.