iPhone5(唉鳳5)

Demand for larger screens, higher resolution, and advanced touch functionality on smartphones and mobile PCs, in particular tablets, is expected to boost small- to medium-size flat panel display (FPD) market revenues to US$71.5 billion by 2016, according to research firm DisplaySearch. Competition among top smartphone vendors has driven FPD makers to produce more high-end technologies, such as AMOLED displays for Samsung Electronic's Galaxy S and retina displays for Apple's iPhone.

"The majority of demand for active matrix flat panel display (AMFPD) technology is coming from smartphone vendors, and other smart devices with similar functionalities, such as tablets," said DisplaySearch researcher Hiroshi Hayase. "Panel makers have started to take notice of this lucrative market as consumer demand for high-end technology outpaces any major concerns over cost, paving the way for a more competitive landscape over the next few years."

Samsung Display secured the top spot among small- to medium-size AMFPD makers in 2012. It is the only company to successfully mass-produce AMOLED technology, and the Samsung Galaxy S3, which uses an AMOLED display, is the best-selling smartphone worldwide, said DisplaySearch.

Ranked behind Samsung are Japan Display, Sharp, and LG Display. Each of these companies has increased its revenue share by producing TFT LCDs with high resolutions and wide-viewing angles for the iPhone 4 and iPhone 5. Unlike Samsung with AMOLED, these companies have had to share the growth in TFT LCDs, added the firm.

"We anticipate that Samsung Display will continue to be the top FPD maker in the near future, especially as the Galaxy S4, which uses a 5-inch full HD display, is set to launch soon," added Hayase. "As seen with the weaker than anticipated sales of the iPhone 5, Japan Display, Sharp, and LG Display are likely to be affected by any product announcements coming out of Apple in 2013."