Smartphone, Automotive Display Revenue Swelled in 2014 As Demand for Others Stalled: IHS

As smartphones cannibalized product sales in other small/medium flat-panel-display (FPD) categories in 2014, automotive display revenues rose to become the second-highest growth category, according to IHS.

Based on the latest information from the IHS Technology Quarterly Small/Medium Shipment and Forecast Report, in 2014, automotive display revenues (not including aftermarket displays) increased 26 percent year over year (YoY) to US$848 million. The cellphone display market increased 4 percent, reaching US$1.2 billion, while multi-function printer displays rose 148 percent to US$85 million.

The overall small/medium FPD market, which includes thin film transistor-liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD), active matrix organic light-emit diode (AMOLED), and active matrix electronic paper displays (AMEPDs), grew an estimated 8 percent (2.5 billion units) in 2014; however, increased penetration of multi-functional smartphones in the global market has caused demand declines for digital still cameras, portable gaming devices, portable media players, video cameras, and other devices. While estimated year-over-year mobile phone FPD unit shipments grew 10 percent and mobile PC display shipments grew 7 percent, shipments of automotive displays grew 33 percent to reach an estimated 87.3 million units in 2014.

“Mobile phone displays continue to lead ongoing small/medium flat-panel market growth, as the functional distinctions between smartphones and other devices blur,” said Hiroshi Hayase, senior director for displays at IHS Technology, formerly with DisplaySearch. “Given that consumer demand in many small/medium FPD categories is falling, rising demand for automotive displays is a bright spot for the industry.”