Apple single biggest buyer of high-resolution smartphone LCDs

Apple will buy fully 37 percent of all high resolution LCDs using low temperature polysilicon (LTPS) and oxide TFT technologies for smartphones this year, with Chinese brands grabbing up another 36 percent.

These are findings of the NPD DisplaySearch Quarterly Mobile Phone Display Shipment and Forecast Report. The report goes on claim that LTPS and oxide TFT LCDs will comprise 26 percent of all mobile phone panel shipments this year, an increase of 8 percentage points from 2013 as more manufacturers move to high-resolution displays. The older amorphous silicon (a-Si) LCDs are expected to continuing losing share. 

Overall, 467 million LTPS and 42 million oxide LCD panels are forecast to ship this year.

"Apple is expected to debut the new iPhone 6 next month, which will create additional demand for LTPS LCDs," said Hiroshi Hayase, vice president of NPD DisplaySearch. "In fact, Apple’s iPhone and China’s emerging smartphone brands are the most important forces driving the rise in LTPS and oxide LCD shipments."

Since Apple’s iPhones only uses LTPS LCD for the iPhone, this makes it the largest user of this high-resolution form of TFT LCD. The Cupertino giant is expected to purchase 96 million iPhone 5 panels along with a further 98 million iPhone 6 panels during 2014, accounting for 37 percent of all LTPS and oxide smartphone LCDs.

"Because of the booming market for LTPS LCD in China, we can expect panel makers to continue expanding their LTPS capacities; however, the capacities of JDI, Sharp, LG Display and other leading suppliers only serve Apple." Hayase said.

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