SAN FRANCISCO--Thanks to continued strong sales of Apple iPad and Amazon Kindle Fire, Korean display makers Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. and LG Electronics Inc. remained the top suppliers of tablet screens in 2011, with more than 80 percent of all shipments combined, according to IHS iSuppli.
LG Display held the biggest portion of the display market in 2011, with IHS noting the firm shiped 46 percent of all tablet display units, or some 37.4 million units. Samsung shiped 35 percent of all units, according to the firm. In total, 81.3 million panels were shipped out for tablets in 2011, IHS said.
The remaining 19 percent of displays all hailed from Asia, according to the report. Taiwan’s Chimei Innolux, Chunghwa Picture Tubes and E-Ink Holdings contributed a significant 12 percent, while Chinese firms Tianma Microelectronics and Beijing Orient Electronics Group made up 4 percent and Japanese Hitachi made up the balance with 3 percent, according to the report.
The market research firm said it expects LG and Samsung to maintain their dominance this year, though new players like Japanese-based Sharp Corp., Japan Display, and Taiwanese AU Optronics are also expected to begin to gain share.
IHS predicted that tablet panel shipments would reach 144.5 million units in 2012, up 78 percent from 2011’s 81.3 million units. In 2010, tablet screen shipments totaled only 16 million units.
In terms of size, IHS said Apple’s iPad ensured that the 9.x-inch category still reigned supreme in 2011, with 68 percent of the market. That said, the firm believes the 7.x-inch category will gain traction in 2012, especially if Apple goes ahead with its expected 7.x-inch iPad Mini to compete with the Kindle Fire and Nook.
Should growth in the 7.x-inch category go according to IHS's predictions, the firm said it would translate into a 36 percent share of market this year for that category, with market share for the 9.x-inch declining to 56 percent, down from 67 percent in 2010.
