iOS devices to drive touchscreen chip shipments to 1.7bn in 2012

The use of touchscreen mobile devices has risen in recent years with a string of smartphones on the market that choose to neglect buttons, while tablets entering the market has also increased the touchscreen rollout.
IHS iSuppli claims it's Apple's iPhone and iPad that are driving the rise of touchscreen chip shipments, which are set to reach 1.7 billion units in 2012, a 28 per cent rise from 865 million in 2010.
Shipments are set to increase even further in the next few years, reaching 2.4 billion by 2015, which is when the rate is expected to slow.
Randy Lawson, principal analyst for display & consumer electronics at IHS, said: "The expansion in touch controller IC shipments is due to the growing number of devices that employ touch technology. Apple almost single-handedly ignited the market for touch in 2007 when it introduced the iPhone, which featured a multi-touch screen based on a projected capacitive touch technology.
"Since the appearance of the iPhone, many other smartphone manufacturers have jumped on the bandwagon by deploying sophisticated touch sensors for their products."

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