Neil Hughes
Over the last seven years, Wintek's June sales have, on average, increased 1 percent month over month, according to Brian White, analyst with Topeka Capital Markets. The 33.6 percent drop seen by Wintek in June is the largest month-over-month sales drop he's seen since late 2008.
But White doesn't believe slower sales at Wintek are a sign that sales of Apple's touchscreen devices are slowing. Instead, he said the sudden drop could be an indication that Wintek is losing market share in key next-generation Apple products.
Leading up to its June sales drop, there has been recent evidence that Wintek could be losing ground in Apple's supply chain. For example, some reports from earlier this year claimed that Apple plans to adopt new, thinner in-cell touch panels for its next iPhone.
The companies rumored to provide in-cell touch panels to Apple are Sharp and Toshiba Mobile, while an additional report in May also named Sony as a potential supplier. Current iPhone and iPad models use glass-on-glass touch solutions provided by Wintek and TPK Holdings, and Wintek does not offer in-cell technology.
White estimates that Wintek previously generated more than 50 percent of its total sales from Apple. The company is said to have provided a significant share of touch panels for both the iPhone and iPad.
"Clearly, Apple has many next generation products on the horizon," White wrote in a note to investors, "and the company may be adjusting its suppliers."
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12 Comments
I think this is very likely.
How about do the yeoman's work of explaining what "in-cell technology" actually means, rather than repeating the word several times. I understand it leads to a reduction of 'something' but the reporter's job is to provide illumination. "Glass-on-glass" versus "in-cell" is completely meaningless.
[quote name="SpamSandwich" url="/t/151069/winteks-plummeting-sales-hint-at-apples-switch-to-in-cell-touch-panels#post_2139413"]How about do the yeoman's work of explaining what "in-cell technology" actually means, rather than repeating the word several times. I understand it leads to a reduction of 'something' but the reporter's job is to provide illumination. "Glass-on-glass" versus "in-cell" is completely meaningless. [/quote] [INDENT]"Currently, the iPhone’s “on cell” display is layered a bit like a sandwich (or if you’re feeling like dessert, think of a trifle). At the very bottom, you’ve got the back light. Directly above that, the LCD section, which houses the red-, green-, and blue-colored pixels of the display. Then there’s a layer of glass. On top of that is the capacitive touch layer, which is then topped off by a tough layer of Gorilla Glass. The middle layer of glass separates the liquid crystal portion of the display from the touch portion. In-cell display tech eliminates that middle layer of glass, combining the LCD and touch sections of the display into a single layer. One way this can be successfully accomplished is by “multiplexing” the electrodes normally used to relay touch input — that is, using the same electrodes to handle the signals for both touch control and the pixels of the LCD, according to a 2010 IHS report on touch-screen displays." [LIST][*]http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2012/04/in-cell-iphone-display/ [/LIST][/INDENT]
In-cell display tech eliminates that middle layer of glass, combining the LCD and touch sections of the display into a single layer. One way this can be successfully accomplished is by “multiplexing” the electrodes normally used to relay touch input — that is, using the same electrodes to handle the signals for both touch control and the pixels of the LCD, according to a 2010 IHS report on touch-screen displays."
This would've made the story much easier to understand. Thanks.
Hey, why isn't the guy in the middle smiling?