According to research firm TechNavio, the worldwide global flexible display market is set for some boom times over the next few years. Forecasts predict that it will bask in an annual growth rate of 45.4% up to 2016, primarily driven by an increase in demand for flexible displays on tablets and smartphones.
The gadget manufacturers are already responding, and LG has announced that it will be starting mass production of smartphones with flexible displays, and these should be hitting the market at the end of 2013. That could trigger an almighty scramble by other manufacturers to launch their own versions in a desperate attempt to play catch-up with LG. This market is potentially so big that the first one out of the starting gates stands to make a huge amount of money, as a gadget-loving public snaps up the new technology.
However, some regard TechNavio’s estimate as somewhat conservative, and believe that the potential for the market in flexible displays across a variety of sectors is huge, and certainly isn’t limited to just mobile devices. For example, research company IHS estimates that the increase will be closer to the 250 times mark, and that by 2020; shipments of flexible display units will top the 790 million level. When you compare this figure to 3.2 million in 2013, it’s clear that IHS believes the market is set to explode. They forecast that revenue for flexible displays could be in excess of $41 billion by 2020.
Benchmark technology
Another research company backs up the opinions of TechNavio too. Visiongain believes that flexible displays will become the ‘benchmark technology’ for mobile devices in just a few years. In the same way that touch-screen technology marked a sea change in the way we interact with technology, flexible plastic displays could have just as much of an impact.
One of the problems at the moment is, whilst the screens may be flexible, the other electronic parts of a mobile device are not. However, that is about to change, as companies such as Plastic Logic have developed plastic transistor technology that enables electronics to be manufactured on flexible or plastic sheets.
The company has industrialized the process to enable transistors to be built directly onto everyday plastic substrates. Patterning processes allowing millions of transistors in each backplane, provide a very high level of detail in the finished display. It is this type of innovation that is pushing the incorporation of flexible display technology out of the research lab and into the public domain.
But it’s not just mobile devices that could benefit from this technological sea change. Other sectors including medicine, car manufacturing and aerospace could be revolutionized through the use of flexible display technology. From bus timetables in shelters to flexible watches that can be personalized and programmed, the concepts and applications are endless. The growth potential of this market is massive, and we have only just begun to scratch the surface of what is possible and how this revolutionary technology can be applied to everyday use.
This is a guest post by Verena. She blogs about gadgets and technology, covering everything from the latest mobile advancements to display technology. When she’s not online Verena enjoys swimming, cycling and travelling the world.
