Japan Display Inc., a unique public/private partnership that was once Japan’s largest supplier of LCD panels but has been struggling of late, saw the price of shares of its stock jump as much as 24% Wednesday on news that it had developed a new lower cost manufacturing process for OLED panels. The company, which had been struggling with slackening global demand for LCD panels, will seek outside investment to pursue the opportunity provided by this new OLED manufacturing process.
smartphones
Samsung Receives Order for 70M OLED Panels from Apple
In reports out of Taiwan, sources say that Apple, Inc. has ordered 70 million bendable OLED panels from Samsung Electronics. An order of this size can only be for the upcoming iPhone 8, expected to be launched in late 2017. The order also suggests that Apple is expecting the iPhone 8 to be a big success.
See more on what sources in Asia are saying about the iPhone 8… [Read more…] about Samsung Receives Order for 70M OLED Panels from Apple
Top Smartphones in 2016? Apple Takes 4 of Top 5
Although many analysts criticize slowing innovation at industry powerhouse Apple, Inc., final results for global smartphone shipments shows Apple with four of the top five models. Not bad for a technology slacker!
See the results for 2016 global smartphone shipments, dominated by Apple models… [Read more…] about Top Smartphones in 2016? Apple Takes 4 of Top 5
Apple Wins Holiday Smartphone Wars
In new research from Flurry Analytics, Apple clearly won the battle for holiday shoppers smartphone dollars. Based on activations of smartphones and tablets during the period of 12/19-12/25, Apple took a healthy 44% bite out of the market…well ahead of second place finisher Samsung (21%), who has struggled in the wake of a battery-blowup scandal. But when compared to last year…some surprises emerge.
See more on this research, released just days after the holiday season… [Read more…] about Apple Wins Holiday Smartphone Wars
OLED Universe is Expanding, Chinese Makers Plan Multiple Factories
In news coming out of Asia, multiple Chinese panel makers are planning to build large production factories making OLED panels – mostly for the smartphone market. Motivated in part, by Apple’s commitment to the technology, companies like BOE Technologies – China’s largest panel manufacturer – has announced plans to launch an OLED factory capable of producing 10 million smartphone panels per month.
But BOE is not alone, others are hopping on the OLED bus… [Read more…] about OLED Universe is Expanding, Chinese Makers Plan Multiple Factories
Stressing the Industry, LCD Panel Prices Collapse 10% in 2015
In a sign of continuing struggles in the TV business, reports out of Japan indicate that LCD panel prices continue to decline. So far in 2015, the average price of LCD panels have dropped 10%…and show no sign of slowing down.
See what’s driving the decline in sales of LCD panels… [Read more…] about Stressing the Industry, LCD Panel Prices Collapse 10% in 2015
In Semi-Annual Update, CEA Says Industry Sales Will Hit New High
The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) maintains a semi-annually updated forecast for all major categories of consumer electronics and has announced the results of their latest update for July saying the industry will hit another new high watermark in industry-wide sales. In a minor revision of their initial January 2014 forecast, the CEA now says total industry shipments in dollars will total $211.3 billion.
What product categories are driving this growth? See more below… [Read more…] about In Semi-Annual Update, CEA Says Industry Sales Will Hit New High
Monster’s ‘Head Monster’ Talks Beats & Women at CE Week 2014
When the history of Monster Products is written some day in the future, there will be many legitimate highlights for their historian to ponder. First and foremost among these will be the fact that CEO Noel Lee (known as the Head Monster) virtually single-handedly created an industry when in the late 70s he popularized step-up, higher quality speaker cables that independent specialty retailers pushed like crazy over zip cord because it was much more profitable for them (and for Lee). And even though Monster Cable was more expensive for consumers, a clever Monster-created retail display demonstrated to them that they could indeed hear the difference with their own ears.
But we’re pretty certain one scene will not make Monster’s corporate history highlight reel – the company’s failure to continue to capitalize on its partnership with Beats by Dr. Dre. That partnership dissolved some two-plus years ago…with Beats going on to be purchased by Apple recently for $3.2 billion. Monster’s share of that eye-popping windfall: $0.
So why, in the wake of that loss, is Noel Lee talking about Beats to anyone who will listen??… [Read more…] about Monster’s ‘Head Monster’ Talks Beats & Women at CE Week 2014
One Month After CE Week, CEA Cuts 2013 Forecast
The Consumer Electronics Association today released their updated forecasts in a report called The U.S. Consumer Electronics Sales and Forecasts – a semiannual report put out every January and July. The new forecasts show the CEA has scaled back their 2013 forecast substantially from the one released earlier this year, but still expect a small increase of just under .2% to $202.6 billion from last year’s $202.3 billion.
See more on this newly updated report… [Read more…] about One Month After CE Week, CEA Cuts 2013 Forecast
Ever-Optimistic, At CES 2013 the CEA Releases New Growth Estimates for Industry
Every year at the Consumer Electronics Association’s (CEA) annual International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, NV, the organization releases new marketing data including forecasts about the future growth of the industry. According to the trade group, revenues for the electronics industry will reach $209.6 billion in 2013 – another new record and well over last years $204 billion level.
Even among participating companies in the CEA’s long-running marketing data collection program, there are often chuckles and whispered question marks about the accuracy of the aggregated forecasts. With one exception (2009), the CEA is famous for releasing optimistic growth forecasts that only go one way – up.
