TelecomTV TelecomTV
  • News
  • Videos
  • Channels
  • Events
  • Network Partners
  • Industry Insights
  • Directory
  • Newsletters
  • Digital Platforms and Services
  • Open RAN
  • Cloud Native Telco
  • Telcos and Public Cloud
  • The Green Network
  • Private Networks
  • Open Telco Infra
  • 5G Evolution
  • Access Evolution
  • Edgenomics
  • Network Automation
  • 6G Research and Innovation
  • Security
  • More Topics
  • Network Partners
  • Industry Insights
  • Directory
  • Newsletters
  • |
  • About
  • Contact
  • |
  • Connect with us
  • Digital Platforms and Services
  • Open RAN
  • Cloud Native Telco
  • Telcos and Public Cloud
  • The Green Network
  • Private Networks
  • Open Telco Infra
  • 5G Evolution
  • Access Evolution
  • Edgenomics
  • Network Automation
  • 6G Research & Innovation
  • Security
  • Connect with TelecomTV
  • About
  • Privacy
  • Help
  • Contact
  • Sign In Register Subscribe
    • Subscribe
    • Sign In
    • Register
  • Search

Devices

Devices

Smartphones and Tablets Still Drive Demand for Cover Glass, as the Industry Looks to Smart Watches for Growth, IHS Says

Via IHS Technology Press Releases

Jul 9, 2015

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (July 9, 2015) – With screen sizes increasing, smartphones continue to lead total area demand in the cover glass market; however, as the markets for smartphones and tablets mature, cover glass industry revenue growth is declining from 39 percent year over year in 2013 to 11 percent in 2015. While the overall cover glass market growth is falling, increasing popularity of the Apple Watch is leading to growth in smart watch cover glass shipments, according to IHS Inc. (NYSE: IHS), the leading global source of critical information and insight.

“Although the average display size for tablets is increasing, simpler industrial design and weak device demand are causing average selling prices for cover glass to fall quickly,” according to Terry Yu, senior analyst for small and medium displays for IHS. “Cover glass makers are now pinning hopes on smart watches, as a way to shore up flagging revenue growth caused by the maturation of the smartphone and tablet segments.”

Smartphones are forecast to comprise more than half (55 percent) of all cover glass area demand in 2015, followed by tablet PCs. More complicated requirements for smartphone cover glass -- including higher aluminosilicate glass penetration, more drilling holes and more ink layers -- are causing average selling prices (ASPs) to rise faster than area demand; smartphone cover glass is therefore expected to make up 63 percent of revenues in 2015. By way of comparison, tablet cover glass is expected to reach 29 percent share of total area demand in 2015, but will only comprise 25 percent of all cover glass revenue, according to the most recent Touch Panel Cover Glass Report from IHS.

Image

Due largely to consumer demand for the Apple Watch, overall smart watch cover glass area demand is forecast to increase by five-fold in 2015, reaching 33,000 square meters. That is still only a tenth of a percent of total cover glass area shipments, as cover glasses for wearable devices are much smaller than those used in smartphones and tablet PCs. The slightly curved design known as 2.5D, along with higher sapphire glass penetration, will keep ASPs significantly higher, which will help smart watch cover glass revenue share rise to 3 percent of the total market in 2015.

Higher costs for aluminosilicate glass and sapphire glass can significantly affect total cover glass costs. In fact sapphire glass material costs in smart watches can be up to 12 times higher than the cost of aluminosilicate glass. “Sapphire glass used in wearable devices commands a premium price, so growth in that area would help shore up industry revenues,” Yu said. “In addition, sapphire glass is already used in the traditional watch industry, which makes it easier to adopt by smart watch cover glass manufacturers.”

Note that this market analysis from IHS covers only front cover glass, and does not include glass used in rear covers, such as the Gorilla glass used on the back of the Galaxy S6.

The IHS Touch Panel Cover Glass Report focuses on the supply chain, as it explores and elucidates market trends, shipment volume, revenue and area. For information about purchasing this report, contact the sales department at IHS in the Americas at +1 844 301 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.

Related Topics
  • 6G Research and Innovation,
  • Device Software & Apps,
  • Devices,
  • Digital Platforms and Services,
  • IHS Markit,
  • News,
  • North America,
  • Research and Trials,
  • Tracker

More Like This

6G Research and Innovation

True digital inclusion is key to 6G – NGMN

Feb 15, 2023

Access Evolution

News brief: Global smartphone sector slumped in Q4

Jan 19, 2023

5G Evolution

GlobalData reveals its six telco consumer services, platforms and devices category predictions for 2023

Jan 13, 2023

Digital Platforms and Services

Spatial tap: Turning sound quality up to 11

Jan 4, 2023

Sustainability

TIM joins Eco Rating for a more informed choice of smartphone

Dec 22, 2022

This content extract was originally sourced from an external website (IHS Technology Press Releases) and is the copyright of the external website owner. TelecomTV is not responsible for the content of external websites. Legal Notices

Email Newsletters

Stay up to date with the latest industry developments: sign up to receive TelecomTV's top news and videos plus exclusive subscriber-only content direct to your inbox – including our daily news briefing and weekly wrap.

Subscribe

Top Picks

Highlights of our content from across TelecomTV today

10:43

MWC23 interview: Mari-Noëlle Jégo-Laveissière, deputy CEO of Orange

12:45

MWC23 interview: Abdu Mudesir, Group CTO, Deutsche Telekom

9:26

MWC23 interview: Greg McCall, Chief Networks Officer, BT

TelecomTV
Company
  • About Us
  • Media Kit
  • Contact Us
Our Brands
  • DSP Leaders World Forum
  • Great Telco Debate
  • TelecomTV Events
Get In Touch
[email protected]
+44 (0) 207 448 1070
Connect With Us

  • Privacy
  • Cookies
  • Terms of Use
  • Legal Notices
  • Help

TelecomTV is produced by the team at Decisive Media.

© Decisive Media Limited 2023. All rights reserved. All brands and products are the trademarks of their respective holder(s).