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FitTech to Make Mini LED Backlights for Apple
In Mid-December ,Taiwan based FitTech was added to the Apple mini-LED supply chain as a provider of mini-LED testing tools. FitTech stated recently that it has received ‘significant’ orders for equipment for probing, testing, and sorting mini-LEDs, with shipments scheduled for September of this year and expects sales of such equipment to increase from 20% - 30% of revenue last year to 40% - 50% this year, with over 75% of 1Q sales from same. While the company mentioned that Chinese and Taiwanese LED manufacturers have been expanding production capabilities for mini-LEDs, demand is being driven by the supposition that Apple will announce a new iPad Pro this month with a mini-LED display, which will begin production in early May. The idea of Apple releasing a mini-LED product this year is not nearly as much of a stretch as one might think given that mini-LED technology is merely an extension of existing LED backlight technology. Issues specific to mini-LEDs exist given their small size and large numbers relative to standard LED backlights, but they are manufactured in the same way (MOCVD) as standard LEDs, allowing a supply chain that is similar, if not the same as traditional LED backlight production, which allows Apple to use existing relationships and suppliers for any mini-LED product, which reduces risk, leaving only the cost of mini-LED backlight arrays as a point of contention. FitTech could be seeing a general increase in interest for mini-LEDs from LED producers or a more directed focus from suppliers or OEMs that are expecting to be included in the production of an upcoming Apple product using mini-LEDs. Samsung Electronics and TCL have already released mini-LED TV products, with TCL on its 2ndgeneration, and LG Electronics is expected to at least announce a similar product this year, although they will be careful not to overstate the technology relative to OLED.
In Mid-December ,Taiwan based FitTech was added to the Apple mini-LED supply chain as a provider of mini-LED testing tools. FitTech stated recently that it has received ‘significant’ orders for equipment for probing, testing, and sorting mini-LEDs, with shipments scheduled for September of this year and expects sales of such equipment to increase from 20% - 30% of revenue last year to 40% - 50% this year, with over 75% of 1Q sales from same. While the company mentioned that Chinese and Taiwanese LED manufacturers have been expanding production capabilities for mini-LEDs, demand is being driven by the supposition that Apple will announce a new iPad Pro this month with a mini-LED display, which will begin production in early May. The idea of Apple releasing a mini-LED product this year is not nearly as much of a stretch as one might think given that mini-LED technology is merely an extension of existing LED backlight technology. Issues specific to mini-LEDs exist given their small size and large numbers relative to standard LED backlights, but they are manufactured in the same way (MOCVD) as standard LEDs, allowing a supply chain that is similar, if not the same as traditional LED backlight production, which allows Apple to use existing relationships and suppliers for any mini-LED product, which reduces risk, leaving only the cost of mini-LED backlight arrays as a point of contention. FitTech could be seeing a general increase in interest for mini-LEDs from LED producers or a more directed focus from suppliers or OEMs that are expecting to be included in the production of an upcoming Apple product using mini-LEDs. Samsung Electronics and TCL have already released mini-LED TV products, with TCL on its 2ndgeneration, and LG Electronics is expected to at least announce a similar product this year, although they will be careful not to overstate the technology relative to OLED.
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