Samsung Electronics Co Ltd overtook archival LG.Philips in the first quarter as the world's top maker of high-resolution computer monitors, according to industry data, and Samsung is set to keep its lead.
Electronic display market research firm DisplaySearch of Austin, Texas said recent data showed Samsung, the top maker of notebook computer displays, had overtaken LG.Philips in sales of desktop computer monitors, where LG.Philips has long been the leader.
Ross Young, president of DisplaySearch, said in an interview that through a combination of heavy investment, speedy manufacturing and smart product bets, Samsung was positioned to remain the world's No 1 display maker for years to come.
"DisplaySearch expects Samsung to retain this leadership position throughout 2004," Young said. "In terms of their total capacity, we expect Samsung to remain ahead of LG.Philips through 2008."
The news comes amid preparations for a $1 billion IPO this year by LG.Philips, a joint venture of LG Electronics Ltd of South Korea and Philips Electronics NV of the Netherlands. The venture is based in South Korea, as is Samsung.
The market share battle between the two electronics makers is considered by analysts to be one of the highest stakes competitions of the decade, one in which each side is investing tens of billions of dollars to come out on top.
Growing volumes, heavy investment and technology advances are expected to cut the cost of a 40-inch (102 cm) flat panel screen by two-thirds by 2007, according to Young.
Wide-screen, crystal clear TVs that now retail for $7,500 could fall to under $1,999 in three years, Young estimated. The wholesale cost of the screens themselves, which now sell for around $2,500 but should fall to around $800 in 2007.
The market will grow to $95 billion in sales by 2008 from $60 billion this year, according to industry estimates.
So-called liquid crystal displays (LCDs) are electronic screens composed of millions of semiconductors arrayed behind a thin sheet of glass. Each transistor chip throws off light to create high-resolution images for everything from candy-bar sized mobile phones to 57-inch (145 cm) flat-panel televisions.
Samsung LCD, the display business of Samsung Electronics, said its first-quarter sales of high resolution LCDs totalled $2.4 billion, an industry record for a single quarter, and more than $500 million above the sales of LG.Philips, its closest rival.
For much of 2003, LG.Philips used DisplaySearch market research data to claim the leading share of displays that are 10 inches (25 cm) and above, or the sizes used in computers and TV screens, which represent the bulk of global sales.
Desktop monitor sales are estimated to reach $20 billion in 2004 while $11 billion of notebook screens are expected to be sold this year world-wide, according to DisplaySearch forecasts.
Small displays under 10 inches (25 cm) are a $9 billion market, while sales of the biggest screens measuring 19 inches (48 cm) and up totalled $5 billion.
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