As Apple’s upcoming release of products featuring Mini LED backlight generates a growth in Mini LED demand, the company has also stimulated actors in the Mini LED supply chain to increase their production capacities. According to the latest investigations by the LEDinside research division of TrendForce, in 1Q21 Apple is expected to not only release its 12.9-inch, Mini LED backlight-equipped iPad Pro, but also open contract bids for its 14-inch and 16-inch MacBooks. Apple has currently chosen Taiwanese manufacturers of display-related components to supply its Mini LED backlights, since Taiwanese suppliers have an advantage in new product development given their superior product stability and technological maturity. Both upstream and downstream suppliers are expected to participate in the Mini LED supply chain, including LED chip manufacturer Epistar, testing and sorting providers FitTech and Saultech, SMT supplier TSMT, and PCB backplane manufacturer Zhen Ding Tech – all of which serve important roles in the development of new Mini LED backlight displays.

Mini LED backlight displays have high brightness and high contrast ratios, which can reach upwards of 1,000,000:1, compared to the 10,000:1 contrast ratios of current mainstream displays. Furthermore, Mini LED displays are also highly reliable, as they can maintain their proper functioning and deliver a consistent brightness in harsh environments with temperatures between 60 degrees to -10 degrees Celsius. All of these strengths make Mini LED technology especially attractive to branded manufacturers. As such, Apple has incorporated Mini LED backlights as one of its core areas of focus in the company’s future planning process of new display products. Although Chinese manufacturers currently possess enormous production capacity and cost advantages in the upstream and downstream LED supply chain, Apple has instead chosen to collaborate with Taiwanese manufacturers (which form a more stable supply chain), in an effort to avoid impacts from the China-U.S. trade war. In addition, Taiwan invested in LED R&D significantly earlier than China did, meaning it leads the latter in terms of both technological maturity and patents. These advantages, combined with the ease of procuring raw materials and components, make Taiwanese suppliers more efficient in the development of new technologies.

Apple’s 12.9-inch iPad Pro is expected to spur a wave of demand in the LED supply chain

Apple’s 12.9-inch iPad Pro is expected to feature 10,384 Mini LED chips and achieve high contrast ratio and high color saturation through local dimming; as such, the biggest challenge facing manufacturers in the supply chain remains the demand for low cost and high yield rate, according to TrendForce. From the perspective of LED chips, Epistar remains Apple’s first choice because of its products’ high degree of consistency and excellent cost-performance ratio, as well as its protection of patents. Also, Mini LED backlight technology requires an extremely stringent testing and sorting process for LED chips based on wavelength and specifications; FitTech and Saultech are thus able to become key partners for Epistar due to their cost-to-performance advantage as well.

On the other hand, SMT supplier TSMT is in partnership with K&S, as specified by Apple, to attempt to overcome mass production bottlenecks through their specific high-speed SMT process. For PCB backplanes, Apple has chosen to collaborate with Korean manufacturer YP Electronics and Taiwan-based Zhen Ding Tech, a subsidiary of longtime Apple ODM Hon Hai Precision Industry (better known as Foxconn). Finally, Apple has partnered with Heesung Electronics and LG Display, both Korean manufacturers, to supply its backlight modules and panels. With the release of Apple’s new models, more and more suppliers, such as GIS, Radiant, Sharp, and BOE, are expected to become part of Apple’s supply chain.

2020 Mini LED Next-Generation Display Technology and Supply Chain Analysis
Release Date: April 30, 2020
Format: PDF
Language: Traditional Chinese / English
Pages: 120

Chapter I. Mini LED Definition and Market Size Analysis
- Mini LED Chip Size Definition
- Mini LED Backlight Display Architecture
- Mini LED Self-emitting Display Architecture
- 2020-2025 Mini LED Production Value Analysis and Forecast
- 2020-2025 Mini LED Production Volume Analysis and Forecast
- 2020-2025 Mini LED Display Penetration Rate Forecast

Chapter II. Mini LED Backlight Display Development Trend
- Mini LED Backlight Display Product Overview
- Product Positioning Analysis- Display Effect
- Product Positioning Analysis- Reliability
- Product Positioning Analysis- Cost Competitiveness
- Mini LED Applications- Cost Analysis of Different Display Light Sources for Tablet
- Mini LED Applications- Tablet Backlight Display Cost Analysis
- Mini LED Applications- Tablet Backlight Display Shipment Volume and Competitiveness Analysis
- Mini LED Applications- Cost Analysis of Different Display Light Sources for NB
- Mini LED Applications- NB Backlight Display Cost Analysis
- Mini LED Applications- NB Backlight Display Shipment Volume and Competitiveness Analysis
- Mini LED Applications- Cost Analysis of Different Display Light Sources for MNT
- Mini LED Applications- MNT Backlight Display Cost Analysis (Passive Matrix)
- Mini LED Applications- MNT Backlight Display Cost Analysis (Active Matrix)
- Mini LED Applications- MNT Backlight Display Shipment Volume and Competitiveness Analysis
- Mini LED Applications- Cost Analysis of Different Display Light Sources for Automotive Display
- Mini LED Applications- Automotive Backlight Display Cost Analysis
- Mini LED Applications- Automotive Backlight Display Shipment Volume and Competitiveness Analysis
- Mini LED Applications- Cost Analysis of Different Display Light Sources for TV
- Mini LED Applications- TV Backlight Display Cost Analysis (Passive Matrix)
- Mini LED Applications- TV Backlight Display Cost Analysis (Active Matrix)
- Mini LED Applications- TV Backlight Display Shipment Volume and Competitiveness Analysis

Chapter III. Mini LED Self-emitting Display Development Trend
- Mini LED Self-emitting Display Product Overview
- Mini LED Applications- LED Digital Display Cost Analysis
- Mini LED Applications- LED Digital Display Shipment Volume and Competitiveness Analysis

Chapter IV. Mini LED Component Supply Chain and Challenges
- Mini LED Technology Process Overview
- LED Light Source Development Trend
- Mini LED Self-emitting Packaging Type Classification
- Mini LED Backlight Packaging Type Classification
- Manufacturing process of Mini LED component technology
- Mini LED- LED Chip Process Cost Analysis
- Analysis on Mini LED component technology and its challenges
- Analysis on Mini LED packaging technology and its challenges
- Analysis on Mini LED component supply chain
- Analysis on major Mini LED epitaxy and chip suppliers- Epistar
- Analysis on major Mini LED epitaxy and chip suppliers- San’an Optoelectronics
- Analysis on major Mini LED epitaxy and chip suppliers- HC Semitek
- Analysis on major Mini LED epitaxy and chip suppliers- Lextar
- Analysis on major Mini LED epitaxy and chip suppliers- Seoul Semiconductor
- Analysis on major Mini LED packagers- Everlight
- Analysis on major Mini LED packagers-ProLite Opto
- Analysis on major Mini LED packagers- NationStar
- Analysis on major Mini LED packagers- Refond Optoelectronics
- Analysis on major Mini LED packagers- Harvatek
- Mini LED Probing and Sorting Technology Bottleneck Analysis
- Mini LED Probing and Sorting Supply Chain Analysis
- Analysis on Mini LED SMT technology key players- SAULTECH
- Analysis on Mini LED SMT technology key players- YTEC
- Analysis on Mini LED SMT technology key players- FitTech

Chapter V. Mini LED SMT technology supply chain and challenges
- Mini LED SMT technology process
- Mini LED- SMT Processing Cost Analysis
- Analysis on bottlenecks of Mini LED SMT technologies
- Analysis on Mini LED SMT transfer supply chain
- Analysis on Mini LED SMT technology key players- ASM
- Analysis on Mini LED SMT technology key players- K&S
- Analysis on Mini LED SMT technology key players- Rohinni
- Analysis on Mini LED SMT technology key players- CyberOptics
- Analysis on Mini LED SMT technology key players- TSMT
- Analysis on Mini LED SMT technology key players- Yenrich Technology

Chapter VI. Mini LED Drive and Backplane Technology Bottleneck and Supply Chain Analysis
- Mini LED Drive and Backplane Technology Flow
- Mini LED PCB Process Cost Analysis
- Mini LED Drive IC Cost Analysis
- Mini LED Passive Matrix Classification
- Mini LED Drive Technology Bottleneck Analysis
- Mini LED Drive Technology Supply Chain Analysis
- Mini LED Drive Technology Manufacturer Analysis- Macroblock (Self-emitting Application)
- Mini LED Drive Technology Manufacturer Analysis- Macroblock (Backlight Application)
- Mini LED Drive Technology Manufacturer Analysis- CHIPONE
- Mini LED Drive Technology Manufacturer Analysis- Backlight- Novatek
- Mini LED Drive Technology Manufacturer Analysis- Backlight- Parade
- Mini LED Backplane Technology Bottleneck Analysis
- Advantages of Mini LED with PCB Backplane
- Challenges of Mini LED with PCB Backplane
- Advantages of Mini LED with Glass Backplane
- Challenges of Mini LED with Glass Backplane
- Mini LED Backplane Technology
- Mini LED Driver Backplane Technology Trend
- Mini LED Backplane Technology Supply Chain Analysis
- Mini LED Backplane Technology Manufacturer Analysis- PCB Manufacturer- Uniflex
- Mini LED Backplane Technology Manufacturer Analysis- Panel Manufacturer- AUO
- Mini LED Backplane Technology Manufacturer Analysis- Panel Manufacturer- Innolux
- Mini LED Backplane Technology Manufacturer Analysis- Panel Manufacturer- BOE
- Mini LED Backplane Technology Manufacturer Analysis- Panel Manufacturer- CSOT
- Mini LED Backplane Technology Manufacturer Analysis- Panel Manufacturer- Tianma

Chapter VII. Mini LED Regional Manufacturers’Layout and Competition Situation Analysis
- Mini LED Backlight Supply Chain Analysis
- Global Main Mini LED Makers’Supply Chain Analysis
- Regional Manufacturers Development Dynamics Analysis--Taiwan Makers
- Regional Makers’Development Dynamics Analysis--Mainland Chinese Makers
- Regional Makers’Development Dynamics Analysis--Japanese and Korean Makers
- Regional Makers’Development Dynamics Analysis--Euramerican Makers

Chapter VIII. Analysis on Development Dynamics of Mini LED Key Makers
- List of Display Technologies in Brand Makers’ Products-Apple
- Analysis on Mini LED Development Dynamics of Brand Makers-Apple
- Mini LED Supply Chains of Brand Makers-Apple
- List of Display Technologies in Brand Makers’ Products--Samsung
- Analysis on Development Dynamics of Brand Makers--Samsung
- Mini LED Supply Chains of Brand Makers--Samsung
- List of Display Technologies in Brand Makers’ Products-LG
- Analysis on Development Dynamics of Brand Makers-LG
- Mini LED Supply Chains of Brand Makers-LG