Notebook panel shipments hit a record 282 million in 2021, up 25.1% year-on-year, according to analyst firm TrendForce. In the first half of the year, increased demand was driven by the pandemic and was mainly focused on consumer laptops and Chromebooks. In the second half of the year, as Europe and the US gradually lifted restrictions and business returned to normal, demand for mobile computers shifted to the corporate segment to a large extent. As a result, demand for laptop panels remained flat throughout the year.

TrendForce believes that the market will slow down in the current half of the year. Notebook panel shipments in the first quarter of 2022 are forecast to be around 67.9 million units, down 9.7% quarter-on-quarter. Shipments in the second quarter are expected to fall to 61.4 million units, down another 9.5% qoq. In addition to the influence of the traditional off-season, there are other reasons. One of them is the large inventory of laptop manufacturers. Due to panel shortages in the past two years, manufacturers continued to actively purchase panels in 2021 to avoid supply chain disruptions. As a result, they have inventories above normal levels.

Notebook panel restocking rates are expected to recover in the second half of the year, but overall, 265 million panels will be shipped in 2022, down 6.0% from 2021.

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