The latest analysis of TrendForce makes for dismal numbers for most monitor manufacturers, with the exception of Apple.
TrendForce’s latest findings show that global monitor shipments will decline by 7.3% by 2023. At an estimated 125 million units, shipments have remained below pre-pandemic levels, due in no small part to the current global economic crisis. However, better days lie ahead.
The company says: “Given the low shipment base in 2023, in addition to the potential for a gradual economic recovery and the typical four-to-five year PC replacement cycle, PCs purchased during the pandemic are expected to ship between the second half of 2024 and 2025 are upgraded. This is expected to lead to a 2% increase in global monitor shipments to approximately 128 million units by 2024.”
Apple dominates the 5K display market
The three largest commercial monitor brands all saw declines of more than 20% year-over-year. For Dell it was a decline of 20.4%. HP fell further by 20.7%, and Lenovo was the hardest hit with a decline of 21.4%.
However, not every manufacturer saw declines. AOC/Philips benefited from strong demand in the Chinese gaming market, posting an 8.8% increase in shipments. Acer strategically upgraded its 60/75Hz products to 100Hz with minimal price difference, resulting in a 6.7% shipment boost.
There is also good news for high-end products, such as gaming monitors. These have seen a noticeable shift from FHD to QHD. TrendForce told us that “the market share of QHD gaming monitors increased to 34% last year, and this is expected to rise even further this year.”
While some brands have introduced 27-inch 5K products, shipping volume has not been substantial due to their expensive, high-end nature. This, as you might expect, is where Apple – with its flagship products and dedicated customer base – thrives. TrendForce estimates monthly shipments of 5K products at approximately 20-30,000 units, with more than 90% attributed to Apple through Studio Display and Pro Display XDR.