Austin, Texas – Calling e-readers a rare bright spot
in a bleak economy, DisplaySearch said displays for e-books and e-textbooks
with 5-inch to 10-inch screens will grow to 77 million units worldwide in 2018,
up from about 1 million units in 2008.
This year the number of e-book readers with screens from 5 to 10 inches
will total 20 models worldwide, compared with only about five models in 2007
that measured 5 to 9 inches.
In 2003 to 2004 there was only one such e-reader on the market,
said DisplaySearch.
Color e-book displays, while available in Japan on a recent
Fujitsu 8-inch FLEPia e-book reader, will not reach high volumes before 2011
due to their high price tags, said DisplaySearch.
E-paper displays used in products, including e-book readers, will
grow to 1.8 billion units worldwide in 2018, up from 22 million units in 2009
for a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 41 percent.
In revenues the CAGR will increase 64 percent to $9.6 billion in
2018, up from $431 million in 2009.
The majority of the e-paper displays sold will be in e-books, but
the category also includes displays for mobile phones, public signs and other
products. The screens are “taking off … due
to their low power consumption and ease of reading, especially in sunlight,”
and because they reduce power consumption, said DisplaySearch display
technologies director Jennifer Colegrove.