ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (April 21, 2016) – As the mobile phone market slows, display manufacturers are looking to new in-cell and on-cell touch-screen solutions that offer consumers thinner and brighter displays, while shortening the supply chain for smartphone manufacturers. As panel makers promote these new solutions, and offer aggressive pricing as well, in-cell and on-cell touch solutions are expected to comprise half of all smartphone displays shipped in 2017, according to IHS Inc. (NYSE: IHS), the leading global source of critical information and insight.

With the advent of active-matrix organic light-emitting diode (AMOLED) used in smartphones, new touch solutions are emerging that boast greater flexibility, lighter weight and other feature improvements. Emerging touch solutions for flexible displays are expected to grow more than 50 percent in 2016 compared to the previous year, which will bolster revenue levels, according to the latest IHS Touch Panel Market Tracker.

“Since Samsung announced their Galaxy S6 Edge smartphone last year, flexible displays have grabbed consumer and industry attention,” said Calvin Hsieh, Director of Display Research for IHS Technology. “Flexible AMOLED displays offer many more features than traditional rigid AMOLED and LCD displays, which is an attractive proposition for device makers and consumers.”

As competition in this market intensifies, panel makers are suffering from module price reductions. As profits decline, major large panel makers are not only pressuring vendors to reduce the costs of materials and components, they are also trying to save on glass costs by manufacturing thinner LCD glass. Between 2012 and 2014, major panel makers successfully shifted glass substrate thickness from 0.7 millimeters to 0.5 millimeters; panel makers are now trying to create display glass that is even thinner, decreasing thickness from 0.5 millimeters to 0.4 millimeters. “Samsung is the first company out of the gate with these new efforts, but other major panel makers will soon follow,” Uno said.

The IHS Touch Panel Market Tracker provides a comprehensive analysis of touch panel technologies, sensor structures, applications, module area and market forecasts. For information about purchasing this report, contact the sales department at IHS in the Americas at (844) 301-7334 or AmericasLeads@ihs.com; in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) at +44 1344 328 300 or technology_emea@ihs.com; or Asia-Pacific (APAC) at +604 291 3600 or technology_APAC@ihs.com.