iPhone Boosts Interest in Touchscreens

Apple's iPhone has spurred huge growth in touchscreen display shipments as competitors and consumers turn to similar technologies, new iSuppli research claims.

The researchers claim shipments of touchscreens will double by 2012, and notes that new touchscreen technologies and manufacturers are entering the market, with 60 companies plan to show off their touchscreen sensor, module or system technology during the 2008 Society for Information Display (SID) International Symposium, Seminar and Exhibition.

A number of new cell phones offer touchscreen input, including Samsung's Glyde Phone and the new HTC Touch Diamond.

The worldwide market for touchscreen modules will amount to 341 million units and US$3.4 billion in value in 2008. iSuppli forecasts that the market will grow to 833 million units by 2013, growing to $6.4 billion by then.

Apple's highly successful iPhone has kick-started sales of touchscreens using projected capacitive technology, which is more durable and has better transmittance than the more commonly-used resistive technology. New touchscreen technologies are also being commercialized and 12 types of touchscreen technologies now have commenced mass production.