CPT Steps into Smartphone Panel Biz

Taipei, Nov. 2, 2011 (CENS)--Chunghwa Picture Tubes, Ltd. (CPT), a major thin film transistor-liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) panel manufacturer in Taiwan, recently announced to venture into the cellphone-display panel field, claiming also to utilize a sixth-generation (6G) production line to produce projected capacitive touch panels.

CPT said that it had modified a 4.5G production line specially for production of capacitor touch panels and 0.3T glass. To meet strong demand, the company has been aggressively adjusting product mix and upgrading technological capability, having successfully developed 3.5-inch panels for smartphone application and will begin mass production of such product at its 6G line in November.

CPT also aims to produce over-4-inch WVGA (400x800 and 400x864) smartphone panels, expecting to complete the project by year-end.

According to the panel manufacturer, it has been raising shipment of small- and medium-sized panels, hence successfully evading impacts from oversupply in the third quarter by shipping less TV and consumer-electronics panels. In the fourth quarter, CPT's area of small and medium panels shipped is expected to rise to 70% to 80%, helping to improve profitability.

In the third quarter, CPT shipped 137 million small- and medium-sized panels, a record quarterly high, as well as a 22.8% quarter-on-quarter (QoQ) and 35.3% year-on-year (YoY) increase, with such shipments accounting for 60% of CPT's total shipments during the period.

In the first three quarters, CPT shipped 346 million small- and medium-sized panels, up 41.2% YoY, and is expected to ship some 500 million such products this year.