Laptop market sees a wave of generational upgrades, with screen enhancements set to become the new "growth driver."

    Date: 2016 April 18, 09:18

      In April, as spring returns to the earth and all things are renewed, the scene bursts forth with vibrant energy. The same holds true for the laptop market, which has been enduring a four-year-long winter—but now, amid lingering cold winds, signs of a warming turnaround are already emerging.

    With the rapid development of mobile internet and smart devices such as smartphones and tablets in recent years, the laptop market has been on a downward trend for several years. According to a report released by research firm TrendForce, global laptop shipments in 2015 reached 164.4 million units, marking a year-on-year decline of 6.3%. However, the report remains optimistic about the market outlook for 2016. Meanwhile, Lauren Lefebvre, Vice President at IDC, also noted that the PC replacement cycle is expected to reach a new peak in 2016. As forecasted by global market research firm TrendForce, laptop shipments in 2016 are projected to see a slight increase of 1%, reaching 165 million units.

    The 500-million-device replacement market urgently seeks breakthroughs for industry development.

　Currently, Lenovo, the world's largest laptop manufacturer, recently released data indicating that over 500 million computers globally have been in use for more than five years. The company believes that technological upgrades and innovative product experiences will drive consumers to upgrade their devices. In China, this figure stands at 55 million units—30 million of which are consumer-grade laptops and 25 million are commercial desktop PCs. Among these, as many as 150 million PCs have been in use for over four years. This massive, yet largely untapped, wave of potential replacements is drawing both established players and new entrants into the increasingly competitive laptop market. As a result, the once-sluggish laptop industry is poised to experience a significant resurgence, ushering in a new era of growth and opportunity.

　　Promoting the upgrade of notebook consumption is currently the top priority for industry development, while how notebooks themselves can be upgraded has become the core issue driving industrial growth. In consumers' traditional mindset when choosing a laptop, hardware components like CPUs, graphics cards, memory, and storage drives have already established a stable and unified industry ecosystem—making it increasingly difficult to achieve further improvements in either the purchasing or usage experience. Both notebook manufacturers and consumers are eagerly awaiting breakthroughs that could unlock a new wave of enhanced user experiences.

    Upgrading consumer demand is turning screen upgrades into a new growth driver.

　　In recent years, technologies such as IPS hard screens, fingerprint recognition, and NFC have become the industry consensus for upgrading mobile devices like smartphones and tablets. Meanwhile, the traditional focus on "full HD, large size, and high capacity" continues to drive the direction of notebook upgrades. However, screen panel upgrades have historically been overlooked by many notebook manufacturers. As consumer demands evolve—with the growing popularity of high-definition video, the need for a more refined touch experience in notebooks, and the increasing professional requirements in fields like design and photography that demand exceptional color accuracy—notebooks equipped with standard TN soft screens can no longer meet these evolving needs.

　　Relying solely on limited measures such as increasing screen resolution or promoting ultra-narrow bezels to boost performance, traditional TN soft screens struggle to break through their inherent technological barriers, making it impossible to deliver meaningful improvements in user experience. In contrast, manufacturers of other consumer devices—such as smartphones and tablets—have increasingly adopted the more advanced IPS hard screens, leveraging advantages like ultra-wide viewing angles, exceptional color accuracy, and superior screen stability. These features have earned widespread market acclaim. The success of IPS hard screens in these devices clearly demonstrates that this technology can also be successfully applied to laptops, potentially revitalizing the somewhat stagnant laptop market and significantly enhancing users' overall experience.

　　To this end, notebook manufacturers have also begun focusing on upgrading the screen experience. In the high-end laptop market, they are actively launching notebook products equipped with FHD IPS hard screens, aiming to first stimulate upgrade demand among premium consumers and inject fresh momentum into industry growth. According to data from IHS, FHD panels will account for 20% of the laptop market in the first quarter of 2016, a figure expected to rise to 30% by the third quarter. Among these, IPS hard screens will become the dominant choice for high-end laptops.

Notebook manufacturers such as Lenovo and HP have also陆续 launched new laptop models featuring IPS hard screens, positioning themselves in the high-end market. This shift—from hardware upgrades to enhanced user experiences—clearly aligns with current trends, as IPS hard screens not only elevate consumer satisfaction but also deliver superior visual performance. As the 2016 wave of laptop upgrades gains momentum, screen panel upgrades are set to become a key growth driver and breakthrough opportunity for entire notebook manufacturers.