1.iPhone is the new 3 model this year.
Apple's new iPhone trend is attracting much attention. Foreign media reported that Apple may focus on selling more new LCD versions of iPhone products this year, mainly due to higher consumer price sensitivity. Apple may launch 3 new iPhones this year.
The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) quoted supply chain sources as saying that Apple has proposed a mass production plan for the new iPhone. Compared to the high-priced organic light-emitting diode (OLED) version of the iPhone, Apple is interested in selling more new LCD versions of the iPhone.
The report pointed out that Apple's focus on cheaper LCD version of the new iPhone is mainly due to consumers' increased sensitivity to smartphone prices. This year's new iPhone series, the LCD version of iPhone sales is expected to account for most of the proportion, exceeding analyst expectations. .
However, the report also analyzes that if Apple focuses on sales of the LCD version of the iPhone, the average selling price (ASP) of the iPhone may be affected.
Apple does not comment on the above news.
Foreign technology websites MacRumors and AppleInsider quoted the Korean media website ET NEWS reported that Apple has recently planned new iPhone operations in 2019. It plans to launch 3 new iPhone products next year. If there are more than 3 new models, the additional models may use LCD separately. panel.
The report speculates that Apple will adopt OLED panels when it launches 3 new iPhones in 2019.
The market generally expects that in the second half of this year, Apple may launch 6.5-inch and 5.8-inch OLED versions of the iPhone, and 6.1-inch LCD versions of the iPhone. Among them, the 6.1-inch LCD version of the iPhone will account for 3 new iPhone shipments in the second half of this year, which can reach about 65%. 75%, shipments can reach 100 million to 120 million.
South Korea’s financial website Business Korea has quoted smart phone industry sources recently reported that Apple’s new 6.1-inch iPhone this year may use South Korea’s LG Display’s MLCD+ display technology.
AppleInsider reports that MLCD+ display technology can save about 30% power consumption compared with IPS LCD technology. LG Display is also one of Apple's supply chains, so it is expected that Apple's new iPhone may adopt the above-mentioned off-the-shelf display technology.
South Korea's Samsung is currently the exclusive supplier of OLED panels for the iPhone. However, the financial website The Investor previously quoted industry sources as reporting that LG Display expects to begin shipping the first batch of OLED panels to the iPhone in the second half of this year.
Analysts pointed out earlier that Apple has actively introduced this year and fully supported LG Display as the OLED version of the iPhone's second panel supplier to decentralize OLED supply risks in the next three to five years.
When Apple announced its financial statements in early May, consumers in the second quarter of the fiscal year 2018 as of the end of March this year selected the OLED version of the iPhone X to be higher than other iPhones. The average selling price of the iPhone in the quarter reached US$728. During the same period last year, the 655 US dollars ascended, the iPhone X sales with a starting price of 999 dollars helped a lot.
2. Apple plans to use LCD screens for the next generation of iPhone production.
Apple is planning a production plan for the next generation of iphones, where the use of liquid crystal displays (LCDs) exceeds analysts' previous expectations, indicating that consumers are still more sensitive to smart phone prices.
People involved in Apple's supply chain said that Apple expects that the LCD models sold in this fall will occupy the vast majority of LCD models, and plans to use LCDs next year.
The above production plan shows that Apple's transition to organic light-emitting diode displays (OLEDs) may be slower than many industry insiders expected a year ago, when the iPhone maker was preparing to launch the first OLED smart phone. Analysts said that use OLED's iPhone X demand was lower than initially expected, mainly due to its pricing starting at $999.
Informed sources said that a key reason for the high price of the iPhone X is the OLED screen. Samsung Display is the main supplier of the display, and its production rate has not yet exceeded the use of a wider range of LCD. LG Display may also release iphone series for this fall. Providing some OLED displays, but the company is also facing the dilemma of boosting the yield.
Article Source: Wall Street Journal
3. Compete with Micro LED makers for aggressive rush;
Apple focused on small-to-medium size displays such as mobile phones and watches. It is reported that two types of Micro LED panels are being prepared for small-size applications in the near future. 1.3-1.4 inches for future Apple Watch, 0.7-0.8 inches for AR wearable devices, and may be AR. glasses.
Apple's development of Micro LED is mainly to reduce excessive reliance on a large-scale Samsung OLED. Since the merger and acquisition of LuxVue in 2014, it has started to actively layout. Since then, Apple has obtained a considerable number of patents in the field of Micro LED and has now basically completed the technology of Micro LED. reserve.
Sony's product layout is based on high-end commercial large-size screens. It focuses on high-end homes and cinema projection scenes to compete with OLEDs. For example, the CLEDIS display exhibited by CES 2017 at Sony shows 144 Micro LEDs. Splicing.
Sony has already launched the Crystal LED Display technology at CES 2012. It uses 6.22 million LED particles to introduce 55-inch TVs. However, the manufacturing cost is very high. In addition, the huge amount of transfer-related technology is not yet mature, resulting in low production yield and time-consuming costs. Workers, unable to achieve mass production.
After years of silence, in 2016 Sony changed its strategy to re-introduce the spliced display screen and named the technology CLEDIS, establishing a strategy to use Micro LED to specialize in the large-size display market.
Samsung's development in the Micro LED area is based on the medium and large size, and is now dominated by the commercial display division of Samsung VD. CES 2018 Samsung introduced the world's first modular mosaic 146吋 Micro LED TV “The Wall”, which is a topic for a while. However, according to understanding, the size of the LED chip of The Wall TV is about 100 micrometers, which still does not reach the level of true Micro LED.
In order to seize the Micro LED market, Samsung also signed a prepayment agreement with Chinese chip makers. This agreement is exclusive. Within 3 years after the agreement comes into effect, Chinese chip makers will supply Samsung’s agreed LED chips.
LG Group is currently led by LG Electronics Micro LED technology, in 2015 has completed the full-color display of Micro LED products, using RGB Micro LED and soft substrate to achieve 3000 ppi products in about 3 inches screen size.
In March 2018, LG has applied for three new trademarks to the European Union, all of which are related to Micro LED panels, namely XμLED, SμLED and XLμLED. It can be seen that LG is also actively deploying. It plans to launch the first Micro LED TV in September 2018.
Sanan Optoelectronics is an internationally influential full-color ultra-high brightness LED wafer and chip manufacturer. The market concentration in the LED chip industry has continued to increase in these two years. The downstream areas have seen system integration and diversified technology development. Actively layout Micro LED industry chain.
In February 2018, Sanan launched a long-term business partnership with Samsung. Samsung will pay Xiamen Sanan with an advance payment of US$16.83 million in exchange for producing a certain number of LED chips for display products in Xiamen San'an production line.
Once Xiamen Sanan reaches mass production capacity, Samsung will consider Xiamen Sanan as the leading supplier, and Sanan may lead the Micro LED chip market.
As early as June 2017, Sanan Optoelectronics had stated that Micro LED is the key development direction in the future. It began to develop 1-2 years ago. In addition, under the support of China National Fund, Sanan plans to cut into compound semiconductors. It will be successfully launched, and it is expected to become an important link in China and even the global Micro LED industry chain.
In terms of new-founded companies, Etron Technology was established in 2014. It specializes in nitride materials and their applications. It has the ability to develop and design Micro LEDs. Its Micro LED display technology is called “PixeLED Display” and it uses Micro The LED chips were transferred to the panel, claiming a transfer yield of 99.9%. In addition, PixeLED Display consumes only 10% of the general LCD and 50% of the OLED.
Most of the manufacturers of Micro LED develop blue light monochromatic color, while Kontron develops RGB three-color, the color display is more perfect, but the yield rate is more challenging. The company has started trial production of Micro LED in the second half of 2017. At the ICDT exhibition in April 2018, The Micro LED display will be displayed in three colors: white, green and full-color.
Founded in 2016, Canadian start-up company VueReal develops high-performance and ultra-low-cost miniature display screens based on Micro LED technology. VueReal's proprietary high-efficiency Micro LED of under 10 micron and patented giant transfer process are called continuous pixels ( Continuous Pixelation) technology, which enables display screens with a throughput of more than 4,000 ppi at high output and at an affordable price, VueReal has developed a 4K micro LED display screen with a density of up to 6,000 ppi, setting a record at the highest resolution for a smaller display The development of sub-micron pixel spacing helps to reduce AR equipment volume such as head-mounted displays and head-up displays.
Focusing on the huge business opportunities for smartphone applications, VueReal claims that it has solved three key manufacturing issues: luminous efficacy, transfer yield, and huge transfer time processes.
In terms of capital, in March 2018, VueReal obtained more than US$10.5 million in Series A financing, which will be used for team expansion and the introduction of advanced microcomponent development and feature research centers to accelerate the development of Micro LED technology, and is expected to reach mass production levels by 2021. .
From the perspective of the entire LED industry, since 2016 LED as a display backlight, applications began to enter the plateau period, the overall growth space is not, the emergence of Micro LED or LED display industry will rekindled hope, despite the extensive industry involved in Micro LED, Including precision machinery, semiconductor manufacturing process, testing and maintenance, etc., huge amount of transfer technology still needs to be breakthrough, and it cannot reach the mass production level in the short term. However, from the current development trend, leading manufacturers actively participate in the research and development of Micro LED, and some technologies have been Progress will see high-end volume production in the second half of 2018. Micro LED still has great potential for the next generation of display technology.
(The author of this article is Tuoba Industrial Research Institute)
(Business Times)
4. The OLED panel eats sugarcane in the second half of the year, and its annual revenue is estimated to increase by 16%;
According to a report released by the US research organization Display Supply Chain Consultants (DSCC) on Friday, global OLED panel revenue this year will come to US$26.9 billion, up 15.5% from 2017.
DSCC pointed out that although the OLED panel revenue season in the first quarter decreased by 33% to US$5.8 billion, it is expected to be the third and the fourth quarter will recover. (Yonhap)
The report shows that the first quarter of smart phone panels accounted for 88% of the overall OLED revenue, followed by television panels in order by 7%, smart watch panel 2.3%.
Samsung Display accounted for 89% of OLED panel revenue in the quarter, and LG Display accounted for 9.5%. From the demand side, Samsung and Apple accounted for 79% of OLED panel consumption in the quarter.
Looking ahead, DSCC expects smart phones to remain the largest applications of OLEDs. It is expected that shipments will account for 91% in 2022 and revenue will account for 79%.
5. Relocate assets focus semiconductor display TCL bond financing 'blood'
Tengnuo asset focus semiconductor display TCL bond financing 'blood'
Gao Yujing, Tong Haihua
On the evening of June 14th, Beijing time, the 2018 World Cup officially kicked off at the Luzhniki Stadium in Russia.
In fact, such top events of the World Cup as a TV brand's must-do list, many TV brands launched their marketing layout a few months ago. After all, only a few people can watch the game on the spot. Most of the audience are watching TV. Live streaming is on the front of the screen. Therefore, before and after the opening of the top-level event, TV sales will be injected with a shot of 'intensity'.
TCL Group (3.050, -0.03, -0.97%) Co., Ltd. (000100.SZ, hereinafter referred to as the 'TCL Group') took the Brazilian star Neymar in April 2018 to distribute themed advertisements in the 13 shopping districts around the world. Its products, channels, marketing quickly penetrate the consumer side.
In addition, TCL Multimedia Technology Holdings Co., Ltd. (1070.HK, hereinafter referred to as 'TCL Multimedia Corporation'), which is part of the TCL Group, recently spent 793 million yuan on the "Brothers" TCL Commercial Information Technology (Huizhou) Co., Ltd. ( Hereinafter referred to as 'TCL commercial information' ), it will be included in the package to open the business restructuring of TCL Group's consumer electronics terminals.
The relevant person in charge of the TCL Group recently said in an interview with a reporter from the China Business News that 'TCL Multimedia's acquisition of TCL's commercial information is a layout for the company's strategic transformation and diversified business development. The company is in the original home television (B2C) business model. , Horizontally extending business information (B2B) business model to expand commercial display of new blue ocean market.
Asset addition and subtraction integration
As the largest exporter of TCL brand consumer electronics terminals, TCL Multimedia has taken over the TCL Group's home appliance business segment, and continues to restructure and absorb consumer electronics terminal businesses.
On June 1st, TCL Group announced that TCL Multimedia will acquire TCL Group, Ningbo Yuanheng Juyuan Investment Partnership (Limited Partnership) and Huizhou Guanlian Industrial Investment Co., Ltd. hold 100% of the total TCL commercial information. Shares. The total purchase price was approximately 793 million yuan. The funds were derived from TCL Multimedia's own funds.
It is understood that TCL's commercial information is located in intelligent commercial information technology products and industry solution providers. It mainly provides commercial customers with one-stop services for software, content, integrated solutions and smart products. The business is concentrated in smart hotels, and information is published. Security monitoring and other fields.
TCL’s commercial information model “Trainer” under the TCL Group has achieved good business results. Public information shows that TCL’s commercial information has been profitable for the past 4 years. In 2016, 2017 net profit after tax was 37.405 million yuan and 109 million yuan, respectively. , Of which, the overall gross profit rate in 2017 reached 16.82%, and the net profit rate (net profit after taxes and special items) reached 5.63%.
Comparable data shows that under TCL's main home television (B2C) business model, the net profit attributable to the parent company generated by TCL Group’s television sales in 2017 was RMB 701 million (HK$815 million).
According to the relevant person in charge of the TCL Group, the company extends the business information (B2B) business model horizontally to the commercial display market in the original home television (B2C) business model. 'Through this acquisition, the company will enjoy TCL's commercial information technology in the Internet of Things. The development results in the areas of cloud applications and artificial intelligence will help expand software R&D capabilities, increase revenue from software and services, enhance the company's overall profitability and overall competitiveness, and strive to create a global electronics industry group.
Liu Buchen, a senior analyst in the home appliance industry, pointed out that commercial displays mainly include large-screen display products such as airports and conference rooms. TCL Multimedia is a home TV display product. The technical homology of the two types of products determines that they should not be separated. , and should be integrated together.
According to the capital structure adjustment plan released by TCL Corporation, the Group will gradually split the consumer electronics terminal business into Hong Kong-listed TCL Multimedia, enhance the business scale and profitability of TCL Multimedia, and create an international TCL brand electronic terminal industry group.
Sweep the semiconductor display ecosystem
With ZTE's (22.820, -2.54, -10.02%) company accumulatively paying US$ 2.29 billion in fines to the U.S. government, and temporarily lifting the embargo, it will be even more alarming for the ability of China's manufacturing industry to develop its own industrial chain. With the adjustment of the structure, TCL Group has been making great efforts to promote the extension of the semiconductor display industry chain.
The panel is the main component of television and mobile phones, and its cost accounts for about half of the total cost of the whole machine. Shenzhen Huaxing Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as 'Huaxing Optoelectronics') has become the foundation of TCL's semiconductor display industry chain. .
At present, China Star Optoelectronics has three mass production G8.5 generation production lines, the product covers the entire line of large-size TV panels and small and medium size mobile terminal panels.
It is worth noting that TCL Group once again overstretched its upstream panel production line. On May 22nd, TCL Group announced publicly that it will invest approximately RMB 42.683 billion to build a 11-generation ultra-high definition new display device production line. It is reported that this project is mainly used Production and sales of 65-inch, 70-inch (21:9), 75-inch 8K ultra-high-definition display and 65-inch OLED, 75-inch OLED display and other ultra-high-definition new display devices to achieve the breakthrough of domestic large-size OLED products. The lighting of the product was completed in December 2020, and it officially reached mass production in March 2021.
At the same time, the high-generation module project with Huaxing Optoelectronics G11 and G8.5 was formally announced on June 12.
In terms of small and medium size, Huaxing Optoelectronics also has a foothold. In March 2017, the 6th generation flexible LTPS-AMOLED display panel production line of Huaxing Optoelectronics Co., Ltd. was formally signed. The total investment of the project is 35 billion yuan. The product is positioned at high resolution, and the collapsible workforce is intelligent. Mobile phone display panel.
An industry insider who has been cultivating for many years in the field of semiconductor display told reporters that the core of panel manufacturing mainly includes three aspects: First, product design, second, equipment processing, and third, materials. Among them, processing technology and materials are more critical.
When TCL Group continued to refine its LCD panel processing technology with Huaxing Optoelectronics, it also took the lead in display technology and material development.
Guangdong Juhua Printing Display Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as 'Guangdong Juhua') established by China Star Optoelectronics Co., Ltd. is engaged in the research of key common technologies for printing and flexible display. At present, Guangdong Juhua has successfully developed 31-inch printed OLED displays and 5 inches. Printed Quantum Dots (QLED) display.
In addition, Guangzhou Huarui Optoelectronics Materials Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Hua Rui Optronics”) under the TCL Group is mainly engaged in the development of new key OLED materials with independent IP. Huarui Optoelectronics has deployed printed OLED materials and also undertook national key research and development. The “Printed OLED Display Key Material Industrialization Demonstration Project” in the project specialization achieved a breakthrough in the solution processing of green light materials.
TCL Group stated that in accordance with the established capital structure adjustment plan, TCL Group will be used as the main financing platform for Huaxing Semiconductor Display Industry Development and other business operations and management.
It is understood that according to the TCL Group's capital structure adjustment plan, the first phase of capital and industrial restructuring will be basically completed in 2018, and the number of secondary companies and entities directly managed by the group will be reduced to less than 30 to simplify the corporate structure. Semiconductors show this leading industry.
'Whether it is building a new high-definition display device production line, or researching printed OLEDs, it is the extension of TCL's in the upper reaches of semiconductor display. Before TCL's market positioning was a company that was doing home appliances, now TCL wants to transform itself into Panel-based, pioneering upstream resources of the enterprise, the past industrial layout is mainly concentrated in the middle part of the industrial chain of the whole part of the appliance industry senior analyst Liu Buchen said.
Financing Blood Preparation
In a semiconductor-intensive, capital-intensive and technology-intensive industry, a project will inevitably require more than 10 billion yuan in capital support. When the TCL Group attacks the semi-conductor display industry chain, it also means huge capital investment. To this end, the company started Bond financing channels.
On June 4, TCL Group announced that it will issue bonds of no more than 2 billion yuan to qualified investors only, of which the basic issuance scale will be 1 billion yuan, and the over-allotment will not exceed 1 billion yuan (including 1 billion yuan). The issuer and the lead underwriter will decide whether to exercise the over-allotment option based on offline subscriptions, and the remaining portion will be issued within 24 months from the date of approval of the issuance by the China Securities Regulatory Commission.
It is understood that in March 2017, TCL Group was approved by China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC), Xu '2017'276, and issued a public bond for qualified investors with a nominal value of no more than 8 billion yuan (including 8 billion yuan). Use a staged distribution method.
The bonds issued by TCL Group are the third phase of the above bond financing plan. Bonds are 5-year bonds. At the end of the third year, the issuer adjusts the coupon rate option and the investor’s option to sell back.
Regarding the use of funds, the TCL Group stated that it intends to use the 800 million yuan of this issue to raise funds for debt repayment, including repaying Guangfa Bank a total of 100 million yuan, China Export-Import Bank 600 million yuan, Agricultural Bank of China 100 million yuan, for a total of 8 100 million yuan.
The relevant person in charge of the TCL Group recently said in an interview with a reporter from the China Business Journal that apart from issuing bonds, the company currently has no other financing plans. 'The company issued the first phase of corporate bonds to qualified investors, June 7. The company has already completed the issuance of a one billion yuan scale. Of this, 800 million will be used to raise funds to repay the company's debts, and the remaining funds will be used to supplement liquidity to meet daily production and operation needs, optimize capital structure, etc. '
Liu Buchen told reporters that the capital demand for semiconductor display ecological chains is very large. TCL focused on this. Apart from self-financing, there is also support from government funds.
It is reported that the second 11-generation ultra high-definition new display device production line built by TCL Group was jointly invested by TCL Group and Shenzhen Major Industrial Development Fund.
In addition, in May 2016, TCL Group and the Hubei Provincial Yangtze River Guidance Fund and Hubei Branch Investment announced the formation of a billion-dollar industrial mergers and acquisitions fund. At the time when planning the direction of M&A fund investment, optoelectronics, including semiconductor integrated circuits The information industry has become a key investment area.
China Business Network