e-Reader Displays To Hit 77M In 2018: DisplaySearch

On Sep 10 2009 - 6:00am

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.