Notebook panel shipment growth to slow down in 2022

Notebook panel shipment that has been increasing for three straight quarters this year is expected to slow down in 2022, according to market research firm TrendForce.

Shipment hit its highest to date during the third quarter but demand for notebooks is slowing down, it said.

Unit shipment during the third quarter was 72.27 million, an increase of 7.1% year-on-year.

Panel shipment in the sector benefited from the increase in demand for notebooks due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Panel supplies also focused on supplying 14-inch and 15.6-inch panels that are used in commercial notebooks during the quarter, TrendForce said.

Unit shipment during the fourth quarter is expected to be 71.15 million units, the firm said, putting the annual tally to 278.1 million units, which will be a 23.2% increase from 2020.

However, unit shipment in 2022 is only expected to increase 0.32% to 279 million units, TrendForce said.

This is because panel makers are planning to ship a total of 330 million units of notebooks panels but demand for consumer notebooks and Chromebooks are slowing down, which could cause of over supply issue.