Touchscreen demand is on the rise, according to DisplaySeach-- with WW touch panel module revenues forecast to reach $13.4Bn by 2011's end, before reaching totals of $23.6Bn in 2017.
Fuelling such growth is the rapid growth in mobile phone, handheld games console and tablet screens accounting for more than $10.5Bn in revenue this year.
Demand is also growing in devices requiring larger touch-based displays, such as all-in-one PCs, notebooks and gaming machines.
Capacitative displays are the current touchscreen leader-- with DisplaySearch estimating WW growth of over 100% Y-o-Y for 2011 and revenues accounting for 70% of all touchscreen revenues.
More companies are moving towards producing projected capcitative displays-- including several colour filter suppliers and LCD manufacturers. Currently over 60 companies supply capacitative displays.
DisplaySearch also expects in-cell touch displays to take off next year, once yield rates improve, together with other technologies such as combination-type panels.
Mobile phone remain the major application for touchscreens accounting for over 66% of unit shipments-- with DisplaySearch forecasts reaching 868m units and 68% Y-o-Y growth for 20011.
Tablet screens are also to show strong growth, with shipments forecast to reach 72m units in 2011-- up from 2010's 26m-- and revenues to reach over $1Bn.
The most successful touch-based technologies have a number of common factors-- high transmittance, low power consumption and multi-touch (if not gesture) recognition.