Report: 4.5 to 5 inch handset panels seen as being in short supply until August

Because handset manufacturers are launching a large number of new models in the third quarter, the omnipresent industry sources say that handset panels will be in short supply until August. More specifically, panels sized 4.5 to 5 inches are expected to be hard to find until then. Chinese manufacturers Huawei and Lenovo are said to have both placed large orders with vendors for the panels as they expect strong sales in China during the July through September period.

Besides domestic manufacturers, the report adds that international handset makers will also be launching new models in China during the third quarter which also use the 4.5 inch to 5 inch displays. Additionally, a monthly shortage of as many as 40 million TN panels has been seen as vendors have been cutting production for featurephones and entry level handsets.

With the size of top-shelf smartphone screens growing in size, it is no surprise to see heavy demand for 4.5 inch to 5 inch displays. Android phones like the Samsung Galaxy S4 and the HTC One both fit in this range as does the upcoming Huawei Ascend P2 which is expected to launch this month in the U.K.

source: DigiTimes