Satnav display shipments set for steep increase
Yesterday, iSuppli also released its predictions for what it calls the PND (portable navigation device) market, specifically in the form of the small/medium LCDs that they use.
Between 2007 and 2010, unit shipments are expected to double and they seem to be in the steepest part of that growth phase right now.
As ever, large unit growth will come at the expense of commoditisation, with revenue from those shipments expected to peak at around $1 billion in 2010 and start to decline thereafter.
“In just the last two years, the PND has evolved from being an expensive option to become an affordable must-have consumer product, available with a wide variety of options, said Vinita Jakhanwal, principal analyst for mobile displays at iSuppli.“PNDs today represent a strong growth opportunity for makers of Thin Film Transistor-LCDs (TFT-LCDs) despite competition from in-house made car navigation systems and from mobile handsets with GPS capabilities.”
The enduring popularity of satnav devices is mainly being driven by the
following factors, according to iSuppli:
- Voice command-based navigation
- 3D maps
- Thin and light form factors
- Larger and wider LCD screens
- Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) card slots for calls and text messaging
- Bluetooth capability for hands-free operation
- Real-time traffic updates
- Larger hard drives
- Touch screens
