NPD DisplaySearch

New display panels in development could hint at larger iPhone, iPad and iWatch

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 14, 2018

If you've been watching the rumor mill over the last 6 months or so, you know that 2014 is expected to be huge for Apple. It's believed that both the iPhone and iPad will receive larger displays this year, and the highly anticipated iWatch could drop as early as this fall.

The highly-regarded NPD DisplaySearch added to the speculation this morning, issuing a new research note saying that its supply chain sources are tracking new display sizes with various resolutions in development that could be used in some of Apple's new devices...

DisplaySearch: Apple prioritizes wearables, puts iTV on the back burner

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 11, 2013

So what's up with the supposed Apple television set, that elusive iTV? According to the latest chatter, the iTV plans have been put on hold as wearables take priority inside the 1 Infinite Loop, Cupertino walls. The notion jives with Tim Cook's recent assertion calling for new a Apple product category in 2014 and a bunch of patent filings and high-profile hirings pointing to an iOS-powered wearable device with health and fitness sensors, the rumored iWatch.

Of course, that a non-Apple product is delayed by another unannounced product isn't necessarily newsworthy in and of itself, but given the source - DisplaySearch - we thought you should at least be informed about what's making the rounds across Apple's components and supply chain in Far East...

Apple and Samsung responsible for 55 percent jump in mobile display profits

Ed Sutherland ∙ August 26, 2013

When Apple or Samsung score a win, leading the cheering section may be all the parts manufacturers building components for the popular smartphones. A case in point: mobile display manufacturers, who saw a 55 percent jump in profits between 2012 and 2013.

Increased demand for iPhone and Galaxy handsets meant revenue of $33.3 billion for the mobile display device industry in 2013, according to researcher NPD Display Search. The two handset makers are also driving demand for more complex mobile device technology, including AMOLED screens predominantly used on Samsung devices and TFT LCDs found on iOS devices...

Quality issues reportedly prompt Apple to cozy up to Samsung for iPad screens

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 7, 2013

It's no secret Apple's been working around the clock to decrease its reliance on Samsung for components. I'm also sure you know the two frenemies have been entangled in a complicated web of lawsuits the world over for two years. Now, various market repots have indicated Apple months ago showed Samsung the door by introducing other mobile display makers to the iPad supply chain, namely LG Display and Sharp.

In an interesting reversal, research firm NPD DisplaySearch said Wednesday it believed Samsung actually gained on the iPad screen supplier LG Display because Apple in April and June reportedly sourced more 9.7-inch iPad panels from LG Display than from Samsung...

Apple updates touch tech in upcoming iPads

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 24, 2013

DigiTimes in January wrote Apple's fifth-generation iPad could adopt the iPad mini's thin-film touchscreen technology called GF Ditto, also better known as GF2. NPD DisplaySearch is well-versed in all things concerning mobile screens and yesterday they corroborated the rumor.

Specifically, DisplaySearch notes Apple’s shift toward in-cell display tech for the iPhone 5 and GF2 for the upcoming iPads has resulted in major shifts in the touch-panel industry supply chain. Basically a double-sided ITO film, GF2 has allowed Apple to make the iPad mini much thinner and significantly lighter compared to the bulkier G/G touchscreen tech driving the iPad 3.

As the iPad 5 is widely expected to adopt the iPad mini's thin and light appearance, obviously a major part of that will be Apple's adoption of the advanced GF2 technology...

iPad mini 2 Retina screens reportedly entering mass-production next month

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 7, 2013

NPD DisplaySearch is on a roll. After reporting yesterday that Apple could release two Retina-enabled iPad mini models - one in the second half of this year and another in the first quarter of 2014 with an updated processor, the display market researcher tell CNET today they think those high-resolution Retina panels for the second-generation iPad mini could go into mass-production soon, as early as June or July of this year.

If true, and assuming satisfactory yield rates, Apple should be able to ready its first Retina iPad mini for a Fall introduction, a time frame KGI Securities' well-informed analyst Ming-Chi Kuo recently outlined based on his own sources...

NPD DisplaySearch sees two Retina iPad minis

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 6, 2013

NPD DisplaySearch knows its display supply chain inside out and while they may not be the most accurate source of Apple rumors, more often than not their predictions have proved pretty accurate. In a report filed yesterday, DisplaySearch analyst Richard Shim was quoted as saying that Apple is readying not one, but two Retina-capable iPad mini models, "one in the second half of this year, then one in the first quarter of 2014"...

iPad 5: lighter and thinner thanks to tweaked display assembly

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 12, 2013

Several supply chain checks are now pointing to Apple's fifth-generation iPad being lighter and thinner over its predecessor, the iPad 4. According to one display expert, Apple will achieve the thinner appearance in a lighter device thanks to advancements in the display department. For starters, in reducing the size of LED backlighting and improving its efficiency, Apple engineers will be able to reduce the overall weight of the device. The company may also use a new kind of touch sensor, he speculated Friday...

iPad mini sales overtaking full-size iPad faster than Apple envisioned

Ed Sutherland ∙ March 1, 2013

Yesterday came more evidence that the 7.9-inch iPad mini is outselling Apple's larger tablet. The findings show increasing sales of the iPad mini amid declining demand for the 9.7-inch iPad. Between December and January, shipments of 9.7-inch panels (such as the iPad) fell from 7.4 million to 1.3 million units. In contrast, shipments of 7.9-inch display panels rose to more than five million units, according to the findings by hardware research firm NPD DisplaySearch that echo recent supply chain chatter.

The changing levels of demand suggests consumers prefer the smaller footprint of smaller tablets. However, this faster adoption of the iPad mini over its big brother is causing analysts to revise expectations for 2013 tablet sales...