Demand for RGB fine-pitch mini LED displays and mini LED backlight units was originally expected to take off in second-quarter 2020 following CES 2020, but corresponding shipments will be significantly short of original expectation in second-half 2020, according to industry sources.

Major sports events originally scheduled for 2020 have been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic and consequently, shipments for RGB fine-pitch mini LED displays originally scheduled for first-half 2020 have been canceled or deferred, the sources said.

For mini LED backlighting, Micro-Star International (MSI) has launched Creator 17 17.3-inch mini LED-backlit notebook, and Asustek Computer and Acer plan to launch 32-inch mini LED-backlit LCD gaming monitors. However, the devices are meant to be more of a demonstration of their technology, for prices for mini LED-backlit products are 1.5-1.75 times those for regular LED-backlit models or OLED ones currently, the sources explained.

So far, no shipments for mini LED backlight units have been scheduled for third-quarter 2020, the sources noted.

Previously, LED epitaxial wafer and chip maker Epistar originally expected the revenue proportion for mini LED chips to rise to 15% at year-end 2020, and vertically-integrated LED maker Lextar Electronics estimated that mini LED would take up 5-7% of 2020 consolidated revenues.

LED driver IC design house Macroblock indicated that its South Korea-based clients plan to launch RGB fine-pitch mini LED displays such as 80-inch models in second-half 2020.