According to relevant data, as Apple iPhone 12 continues to be popular, the PCB industry chain related to it has benefited a lot. The iPhone 12 series sells better than expected. In the fourth quarter of 2020, Apple not only squeezed Samsung's smartphone sales, but also widened the gap between the two by over 4%.
According to the Taiwan Circuit Board Association of China (TPCA), Apple has a key influence on soft boards, carrier boards, and HDI, and Taiwanese manufacturers are expected to continue to benefit in 2021.
According to TPCA analysis, the delayed launch of the iPhone 12 has caused Apple to hardly benefit from the transfer order, and the related Taiwanese supply chain has also been affected. However, judging from the data released, the iPhone 12 series as its first 5G-supported iPhone 12 series is surprisingly powerful. In addition to driving the overall sales volume to pay a rare annual growth rate of more than 20%, it also reflects the appearance of competition after Huawei has faded to a certain extent.
Further observation, Samsung’s growth rate is not far from the overall average, mainly following the natural growth of the environment, while Apple and Xiaomi clearly share some of Huawei’s mid-to-high-end and mid-to-low-end models. TPCA believes that compared to Xiaomi and Huawei, Apple has a critical influence on circuit board products. If this competitive situation continues, Taiwanese manufacturers, including soft boards, carrier boards, and HDI, are expected to continue to benefit in 2021.
From the perspective of Taiwanese PCB manufacturers, following the surge in demand for these smart phones or consumer electronic products, some product lines have grown significantly. HDI is the most obvious example. Since the peak season of the second half of last year, not only customer demand has continued to increase. High, and even some companies are experiencing a situation of tight production capacity and difficult to relieve. HDI suppliers such as Zhending-KY (4958), Tripod (3044), Huatong (2313), Nandian (8046), Xinxing (3037), Baicheng (6141) and so on.
Tripod pointed out that because HDI’s product portfolio is no longer just for the supply of mobile phones, high-end NB, high-end servers, high-end automotive boards, SSDs, etc., all use related processes, especially some larger products because of their large area and consumption. The production capacity is large, so the second quarter demand can already be seen at the beginning of 2021, and the visibility can be described as great.
Huatong said that the main reason is that customer demand has not yet seen a significant reduction. The competition for Chinese mobile phones is fierce, and the US series of new and old models are simultaneously supplied. At the same time, the demand for US notebooks and tablets is booming. New products are expected to be launched in the second quarter. HDI visibility You can also see the second season.
HDI products cover a wide range, and many applications currently do not smell the taste of correction. Even driven by 5G, the market outlook is still bullish. In addition, the overall HDI market has continued to expand over the years, but it can achieve high levels. Mass production of high-end HDI is still a small number. Small and medium-sized factories may not be able to invest large capital expenditures. High-end technology has a high threshold and land-funded factories may not be able to keep up. In addition, traditional HDI manufacturers have already mastered most of the needs. It is not easy to reverse. Several Taiwan-based HDI manufacturers that will open new production capacity this year will continue to stabilize their position and become the biggest beneficiaries of this wave.