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发帖数: 3492 | 1 Tue, 03 Jul 2012 12:55:32 PDT
Topeka Capital Markets analyst Brian White today issued a new research note
highlighting a steep drop in sales at Wintek, Apple's long-time supply chain
partner involved in production of display touch panels for iOS devices.
According to the report, Wintek has experienced one of its steepest declines
in shipments on record, but rather than suggesting that the decline is due
to overall weakness in Apple products, White believes that it is evidence of
Apple moving to in-cell touch sensing technology in its next-generation
products.
This morning, Wintek reported consolidated June sales of NT$5.22 billion
, down 33.6% MoM and much worse than the average MoM June sales increase of
1% over the past seven years. Based on our records, this appears to be the
biggest MoM sales drop for Wintek since the later part of 2008 and one of
the most significant drops we have on record (back to 2005). We would not
overreact to the weakness at Wintek as it relates to Apple because we
believe Wintek may be losing market share in key next generation Apple
products and therefore ramping down certain programs.
White notes that Wintek was previously estimated as generating over 50% of
total sales from Apple, but that its role in Apple's supply chain is
slipping amid the transition to new technologies.
Rumors of a shift to in-cell technology, which would allow for thinner
displays, surfaced in April with indications that it would benefit larger
display manufacturers like Sony, Sharp, and Toshiba. Smaller players like
Wintek that have specialized in the current on-cell touch panel
implementations would likely see their roles reduced, and White believes
that that impact is already being felt at Wintek.
KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo issued a report in late April estimating
that a shift from on-cell technology to in-cell technology could allow
Apple to shave up to 0.5 mm from the thickness of the next-generation iPhone
. Altogether, Kuo expects that Apple will seek to embrace thinner displays,
thinner back cases made of metal instead of glass, and thinner batteries
made possible by spreading out within a larger form factor as a way reduce
the thickness of the iPhone by nearly 1.5 mm. |
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