Onsemi on Feb. 6 announced its fourth quarter and fiscal year 2022 results with the following highlights:

Taiwan-based LED chipmaker PlayNitride is considering manufacturing microLED chips using 8-inch wafers, with subcontract trial lines likely to become available in the first half of 2023, according to industry sources.

While micro LED technology is in continued development for application, the technology is unlikely to become a competitor for electronic paper (e-paper), according to chairman and CEO Johnson Lee for e-paper maker E Ink Holdings.

Apple has been reportedly developing micro LED technology for initial application on Apple Watch Ultra, expected to be launched in 2024. Since current production cost for micro LED panels is very high and display performance of such panels for use in smart watches will not be substantially differentiated from that of OLED panels, Apple's developing micro LED technology is motivated by the huge potential of extending application of the technology from smart watches to AR/VR devices, smartphones and large-size displays over the next 5-10 years, thereby taking the global lead in the technology.

China-based TV vendor Hisense has stepped up investing in the upstream LED supply chain, looking to enhance its in-house developed miniLED and microLED display technologies, according to industry sources.

LED epitaxial wafer and chip maker Epistar expect its capacity utilization to improve gradually, starting the first quarter of 2023.

Samsung Electronics will launch microLED TVs of seven sizes in 2023, according to industry sources.

LED maker Everlight has already announced the liquidation of its German subsidiary WOFI. Yet the patent disputes between Everlight and Nichia are still far from over. Nichia stated that in December 2022, the Dusseldorf Court of Appeal decided on a key patent infringement case against WOFI. WOFI was found to have infringed on Nichia's patent.

The adoption of microLED displays among large-, small- and medium-size device applications is expected to grow substantially starting 2023, which will buoy microLED chipmaker PlayNitride's sales performance through next year, according to market sources.

LED automotive lighting module maker Laster Tech has reported record-high revenue of NT$6.47 billion (US$212.3 million) for 2022, buoyed by solid order pull-ins from clients to support the launch of new cars.

LED epitaxial wafer and chip maker Epistar has reported consolidated revenues of NT$728.0 million (US$23.8 million) for December, slipping 50.00% on month and 62.30% on year.

Car display shipments during 2022 are forecast to remain short of 200 million sheets. Notably, center control display (CCD) shipments are expected to decrease to 95.3 million sheets for 2022, according to forecasts made by DIGITIMES Research.

Samsung Electronics plans to launch 89-inch microLED TVs with microLED panels based on LTPS (low-temperature polysilicon) TFT glass backplanes in the third or fourth quarter of 2023, according to South Korea-based media The Elec.

Taiwan-based LED makers intend to phase out production for POB (package on board) miniLED backlight units, shifting their focus to COB (chip on board) miniLED BLUs, according to industry sources.

Display driver IC (DDI) inventory correction may end earlier than other IC segments, according to industry sources.

Demand for large-size outdoor LED fine-pitch displays in the China market has nosedived due to impact of COVID control measures and should reach bottom levels by January 2023, according to Taiwan-based LED driver IC design house Macroblock.

Suppliers of miniLED backlighting may take a hit if Apple adopts OLED screens for its iPad Pro, but they are turning their focus to automotive applications, according to industry sources.

LED packaging service provider Everlight Electronics expects demand for invisible LED devices to pick up gradually in the first half of 2023 and for other visible models to come one quarter later.

LED automotive lighting module maker Excellence Optoelectronics (EOI) has kicked off small-volume shipments of its large-size miniLED fine-pitch display products for commercial and industrial applications, with related shipments poised to expand significantly in 2023.

LED chip and Si-based sensor maker Tyntek continues adjusting its inventory levels by offloading more of its legacy and substandard chips, according to company sources.

LCD panel maker AUO has disclosed it has cooperated with VFX (visual effects) specialist Renovatio Pictures to set up an LED virtual studio at Central Motion Picture's film studio in Taipei to provide integrated services consisting of shooting scenes and stages, content production, technical counseling and rental equipment.

As the China government is progressively relaxing anti-COVID-19 control measures, a large number of factory workers are expected to go home for the 2023 Lunar New Year vacation and, if a large portion of them do not return to work immediately after the holidays, there is likely to be short supply of labor, according to Taiwan-based LED makers.

Taiwan-based Ledtech Electronics, dedicated to supplying LED components, lights and displays, is optimistic about a 30% on-year revenue growth for 2023 with profitability to rise notably, driven by increasing shipments of LED components with higher gross margins as well as new applications.

Germany-based LED maker Ams Osram expects the commercialization of small-size microLED displays to take place within two years.

As global demand for XR (extended reality) headsets is expected to take off in 2023, microLED panels tend to surpass LCD and OLED panels to become mainstream, specifically for XR devices, according to South Korea-based Money Today.