Mini LED backlight solution seems to be a “must have” technology for all the panel exhibitors at this year’s Display Week. Despite that adopting Mini LED backlight to consumer electronic products is rather difficult due to high production cost; panel makers still proactively demonstrated related products. Therefore, Mini LED backlight might not be a flash in the pan. LEDinside noticed that almost every display maker participated in Display Week disclosed the focus on automotive display incorporating LCD panel and Mini LED backlight. The solut...

2018 has been a tough year for panel producers due to the dropping panel price caused by oversupply. Chinese panel makers are still expanding their production capacities for LCD and OLED displays, putting pressures on other industry players. Samsung is closing its 8.5 generation production line in 2019 and shifting the focus to QD-OLED panels in response to the price competition. LG Display also plans to expand its OLED production capacities in China and Korea targeting large sized TV displays. It is estimated that by 2020, the OLED investment of LG Displ...

For the LED and panel industry, the year of 2018 had a dramatic start with Samsung’s revealing of its Micro LED TV “The Wall” at the CES show. Since then, players in the industry have been releasing their achievements related to the next generation display technology. Several innovative solutions and applications have been disclosed in the past year including large size displays and wearable devices. As LEDinside has continued to track the progress of Micro LED development, we would like to list the significant breakthroughs and industry updates...

According to WitsView, a division of TrendForce, the glut ratio of panels is expected to increase to 4.3 percent in the fourth quarter of 2018, leading to a drop in panel price. Facing the difficulties of the oversupply and decreased price, panel producers have shifted their focus to niche applications in order to break through the low price competition. Innolux has developed a high resolution sickness-free VR headset which won an innovative product award. The company aims to expand its presence in the growing gaming market with its VR headset and expects to mass produce the pr...

As the peak season has passed, Taiwanese Panel producer AUO has reported a revenue drop for October. Meanwhile there are rumors saying that the Foxconn Group plans to divide and restructure its panel business. AU Optronics (AUO) posted its consolidated revenue of NT$ 26.49 billion (US$ 861.59 million) for October which dropped by 3.4% MoM and 3.4% YoY. For the third quarter of 2018, the revenue was NT$81.04 billion (US$ 2.64 billion), up by 8% QoQ. According to AUO, the amount of shipment for large size panels including TVs, monitors and notebook...

LEDinside forecasts that the development of Mini LED will accelerate in 2019 and 2020 and its market value will reach US$ 1699 million by 2022. Several industry players including San’an, HC Semitek, Epistar, NationStar, Harvatek, and Macroblock have reported their progress of Mini LED development. Meanwhile, panel producers such as AUO, BOE, Innolux and JDI have also unveiled applications adopting Mini LED technology.

A European Apple patent application related to the technology of Micro LED display was published, reported Patently Apple.

LG Display has confirmed its plan to cut jobs through voluntary retirement as the company intends to shift its product portfolio from LCD display to OLED display which requires less production workforce, reported Reuters.

Many panel producers have reported profit drop in the early 2018 due to oversupply. But in the third quarter of 2018, the enhanced stocking-up demand in the peak season has reversed the over-supply trend, analyzed WitsView, a division of TrendForce.

Micro LED has been considered as the next generation display technology and many leading brands have continued to report their progress of Micro LED development. Taiwanese LED makers and panel producers have also introduced their latest development of Micro LED display technologies at Touch Taiwan 2018. According to sources from the supply chain, Apple has visited AUO and Epistar to learn their progress of Micro LED technology and discuss the possible cooperation regarding Micro LED display development. 

The “2018 International Micro LED Display Conference” was held by Taiwan Display Union Association (TDUA), at Touch Taiwan 2018 where a special booth for Micro LED/ Mini LED products solutions was set up.

The display show, Touch Taiwan, has kicked off in Taipei, Taiwan. The next generation display technology, Mini and Micro LED, has been the spotlight of the event with several companies showcasing their latest display products adopting the technologies. According to the latest report of LEDinside, the market value of Micro LED and Mini LED products is estimated at US$1.38 billion by 2022.

During the second quarter of this year, many panel producers reported profit drop due to oversupply. However, as the third quarter began, AUO has announced its increased revenue for July with panel price bouncing back and rising shipments. 

Under the pressure of price competition and oversupply in the LED industry, LED producers worldwide have been devoting their efforts in organization transformation and reconstruction as well as focusing on innovative technologies. The development of Mini LED and Micro LED has been viewed as the new opportunity for LED firms. LEDinside has estimated that the revenue of Micro LED and Mini LED will reach US$1.38 billion by 2022.

Panel makers in Asia have been struggling with the oversupply of LCD products and have reported profit drop in the second quarter of 2018 compared to last quarter and last year. 

Taiwanese panel producer AUO has reported its revenue for the second season of 2018 and revealed that the company expects to release Mini LED displays for gaming monitors or gaming notebooks in the second half of 2018.

Mini LED as an enhanced version of conventional LED backlight has been considered as a transitional technology between conventional LED and Micro LED. According to the estimation of LEDinside, the revenue of Mini LED products is expected to reach US$689 million by 2022. Before the second half of 2018 started, many LED companies have reported their progress and shipping schedule of Mini LED products including applications of automotive lighting and mobile devices.

During Display Week 2018, many big giants have been simultaneously releasing Mini LED backlight products. LEDinside found those Mini LED panels majorly adopt direct-type local dimming and support HDR mode, making the vivid contract ratio, which can compete with OLED panel.

Display Week, held in every May in Los Angles, is the world-famous Display Exhibition. As the raising attention toward Micro LED market, LEDinside will provide the latest display market news LIVE.

In recent year, Mini LED has undoubtedly emerged as a new sector where LED companies and panel vendors actively enter. The reason is that the traditional LED backlight has been developing for many years, reaching a bottleneck in technology; the profit is relatively low as well. Meanwhile, OLED displays, which feature thinness and flexibility, are invading into the backlight display market. As the result, manufacturers that do not worked on OLED displays have turned to the development of Mini LED, a new product that is highly competitive in terms of function and cost.

Currently in the industry, on one hand, Apple has been very active in developing Micro LED; on the other, display makers AU Optronics (AUO) and Innolux just announced to roll out Mini LED applications by the end of 2018.

Lite-On Reports Steady Growth in LED Related Businesses, While AUO Monthly Panel Shipments Increase.

Mini LED is a new display technology in Asia. AU Optronics (AUO) on March 8 released the world's first Mini LED-based product line, including a gaming monitor, a gaming laptop, and a small-sized display for VR wearable devices. The company will begin to ship its Mini LED products in 2H18 and the large-scale gaming monitor will be the first to be on the market, said Michael Tsai, General Manager at AUO.

The next generation display technology Micro LED draws lots of attention, but Micro LED will take time to reach the mass production (MP) phase. Before that happens, mini LED with lower technical barrier will enter its MP phase first. Sources said, panel makers and LED die manufacturers already started their collaboration. Initially, mini LED will be used for two major categories: signage and TV panel backlight source. The cooperative effort will launch ultra-fine-pitch signage and super energy-saving, ultra-slim direct lit mini LED backlight TV panels.

AUO Chairman and CEO Paul Peng applauded Taiwan’s Ministry of Economics Affairs (MOEA) plan of vertically integrating the country’s OLED supply chain, but cautioned the Taiwanese government needs to implement concrete measures and follow through, during the opening ceremony of Touch Taiwan 2016.

Through production expansion projects, and headhunting Taiwanese competitors best talents, Chinese panel makers are putting leading Taiwanese display makers Innolux and AUO under immense pressure, reported Chinese-media TechNews.

Taiwanese display manufacturer AUO has become Apple’s smartphone screen supplier for the upcoming iPhone 7c, reported UDN.

Displays made of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) are very attractive. One of their advantages is that they can be less expensively manufactured using inkjet technology. Companies are aiming to make this process suitable for mass production — for example at AUO in Taiwan, one of the world’s leading display suppliers. 

AU Optronics Corp. ("AUO" or the "Company") announced  that it will set “Experience the Ultimate with Curved Ultra High Definition” as the theme and participate in China Information Technology Expo & China Optoelectronics Display Expo 2014 in Shenzhen from April 10 to 12. AUO will demonstrate its full series of 42 to 65-inch UHD 4K curved LCD TV displays with wide color gamut that are mass produced ahead of the industry, curved monitor displays, and ultra high resolution smartphone displays. The Company aims to satisfy consumers' diverse needs for visual enjoyment with its ultra high resolution and complete product lines. 

Recently, enterprises from mainland China such as BOE Technology Group and San’an Optoelectronics Co., Ltd. have privately inquired about corporate details of two Taiwanese LED chip makers, namely Formosa Epitaxy Incorporation (FOREPI) and Lextar, indicating an interest to invest in Taiwan’s LED industry after the lifting of maximum investment by Chinese investors. Chinese operators are interested in Taiwan’s LED epitaxy plants for their advanced technologies, according to institutional investors. Insiders say that the parent compan...