Mobile TouchScreen Displays Could Reach $1 Billion Annually

The market for small and medium touch displays (below 10") has the potential to reach $2-4 billion annually, according to new research from DisplaySearch.

"All multi-touch capable devices, like the iPhone and iPod touch, currently use solutions that are separate from the actual display," explains Barry Young, Senior Advisor at DisplaySearch. "Display makers are developing new integrated solutions to try to capture more of the available revenue."

Last year, the iPhone and iPod touch marked new growth for multi-touch solutions that enable simultaneous inputs for control and navigation. Both Apple products are good examples of why display makers are eager to integrate touch technology into the display. In both products, the costs of non-integrated touch solutions exceed the costs of the actual displays.

"PMP/MP3 player annual shipments are near 300 million, and mobile handsets shipments have already passed 1 billion, so it's clear why display manufacturers want touch-related revenues for themselves," notes Chris Crotty, DisplaySearch Director of Small and Medium Displays. Crotty adds that there are also good opportunities for touch displays in personal navigation devices (PND), digital still cameras (DSC), and digital photo frames (DPF), and other consumer electronics products.

To compete against current touch sensor suppliers, display makers are currently developing both integrated capacitive solutions as well new optical solutions. Integrated optical touch technology features light sensors built into every pixel within the display. As a user moves his or her fingers across the display, the sensors report data that signal processing translates into movement information. Advantages include no added thickness and a high level of light transmittance. However, the signal processing involves complex algorithms made more challenging by a wide range of ambient lighting conditions.

Posted to the site on 12th February 2008