Samsung Display (Samsung Display) continued to withdraw from the LCD panel market, in addition to the end of this year will be closed before a 7-generation plant, the next year will be closed a 5-generation plant, Samsung monitors continued factory, notebook computers (NB ) Panel production significantly reduced, detonated NB brand factory turn single.

Apple products for the first time using Chinese panels

LG and Samsung has always been Apple's computer panel supplier, with the Samsung production capacity restructuring, especially the transfer of Oxide panel production capacity, so that Apple may worry about the shortage of panel supply problems. Based on this Apple will add a new MacBook panel suppliers to reduce the risk of changes due to Samsung's business.

Apple MacBook Air series for its notebook, consider the use of China's BOE as a panel supplier, which is Apple's first use of Chinese manufacturers of LCD panels.

IHS Markit senior director of research Xieqin Yi pointed out that Apple's MacBook Pro laptop panel is mainly provided by the Samsung and LG Display, the oxide film transistor (Oxide TFT) -based, while the BOE's attack is to 13.3-inch MacBook Air Panel based.

BOE obtained certification of small shipments

He pointed out that Apple's supply chain because of the stringent quality requirements of manufacturers, in order to pass Apple's certification, won the Apple orders, the establishment of Apple's special team BOE response, efforts to 2 years, it is understood that the Tokyo side supply of Apple's panel by the end of August Early in September to obtain Apple's certification, the early will be a small amount of shipping.

Panel analysts pointed out that China's layout panel industry, after years of investing a lot of money and Laojiao, although the quality and yield is still to be adjusted, but to catch up with the pace of Taiwan, Japan and South Korea plant has not stopped, from the BOE to attack Apple supply Chain, as the first three panel suppliers, the Chinese panel makers and foreign manufacturers have been getting smaller and smaller gap.

Samsung monitors since 2008, has been closed in the device-hing 2 and Cheonan's three panel plant, at the end of 2016 at the end of the L7-1 plant in Tomwell, the Samsung display will be closed in 2017, a 5-generation Plant, so far, Samsung monitors have decided to close or have been closed TFT-LCD panel plant has a total of up to seven. In a planned exit from the LCD panel market, Samsung monitors will also shift the focus of production and investment to the development of AMOLED panel.

In the 5-generation factory factory, the main product IT application by the impact of the largest, Samsung monitors last year, has been located in Tianan L5 factory sold to the mainland industry letter Lee Optoelectronics, Samsung monitors plan now in 2017 to stop another 5-generation line factory L6, Making NB panel supply problems worse.


According to IHS Markit statistics, Samsung monitors in 2015 produced a total of about 30 million NB panels, due to plant consolidation plan, Samsung monitors 2016 NB panel shipments will drop to 12 million, equivalent to a decrease of 18 million Slice output.


After entering 2017, due to the Samsung monitor will close a 5-generation plant, estimated its NB panel shipments will continue to drop to 4 million level, in other words, the overall NB panel market gap will continue to expand, which also detonated Brand factory big turn single.


Of all the NB brands, HP was the most affected, with Samsung's monitor supply of HP's NB panel slipping from 1.1 million in the first quarter of 2016 to 350,000 in the second quarter, and in that case, , HP has transferred orders to other panel suppliers to ensure adequate supply of panel sources. For example, QunChuang in the second quarter of 2016 to obtain HP 2.8 million NB panel orders, an increase of 58% over the first quarter.


In fact, the Samsung NB panel display supply in 2016 has been significantly reduced in the second quarter, the first quarter, the Samsung monitor NB panel supply there are 417 million, but the second quarter had been reduced to 2.8 million (LG Display) NB panel shipments increased compared to the first quarter, in addition to seasonal demand injection, but also with the Samsung display capacity significantly downsized related.


It is noteworthy that the mainland panel factory BOE NB panel shipments were heavy volume, from the first quarter of 4.9 million rapid growth to 7.2 million in the second quarter, is the largest increase in the number of panel factories in the NB Brand manufacturers, including Dell (Dell), Hewlett-Packard and Lenovo, etc., in the second quarter to purchase the NB panel BOE orders are more than one million, in addition, Acer and Asus, although the second quarter to the BOE procurement volume does not exceed Million, but also increased over the first quarter.


BOE has a panel factory in Chongqing, and the world's largest notebook computer production base is quite close to, thanks to this, IHS Markit NB21 NB panel shipments in 2017 is expected to grow rapidly, is expected to expand to more than 30 million levels, This shipments have been very close to the panel factory in Taiwan AUO NB panel supply.


In addition, it is worth mentioning that the Korean factory LG Display and Samsung monitor long-term for the Apple (Apple) laptop panel suppliers, but with the factory reorganization and oxide (Oxide) redistribution of capacity, Apple more and more Worry about the stability of the panel supply.


It is reported that Apple consider increasing Sharp (Sharp) for its new MacBookPro panel suppliers, in order to correspond to the Samsung monitor the risk of changing business plans. As for the old MacBook Air, Apple decided to purchase 13.3-inch panel BOE, which is Apple's first panel to the mainland procurement LCD panel.


In addition, the Samsung monitor out of the LCD business, but also on the wide viewing angle panel (IPS / PLS) had an impact. Samsung monitors are one of the major suppliers of wide angle panels, second only to LG Display, in order to avoid the LG display to become the only IPS / PLS panel suppliers, brand manufacturers need to find other suppliers to deal with Samsung monitors reduce production IPS / PLS panel risks.


In this situation, the AU is to benefit from the manufacturers, AUO has received more and more brand orders. According to the IHS Markit survey, the second quarter of AUO IPS's market share of 17%, estimated in the fourth quarter of this year will reach 19%, more than Samsung monitors.