30% of laptops to adopt full-HD screens in 2016

As PC makers struggle to boost sales, turning to products such as gaming PCs and tablet/laptop hybrids, manufacturers can no longer skimp on display quality to save a few dollars. A report from IHS shows full-HD PC displays will make significant gains in 2016, growing to 30 percent of the notebook PC market by the third quarter, up from 20 percent in the first quarter. Displays with quality greater than FHD will make more modest gains.

Part of the pressure for increased display quality is coming from panel makers. Prices dropped to nearly the cost to manufacture them at the end of 2015, according to IHS, letting companies focus on upgrading features to boost sales. Differences in screen resolution are also easily recognizable to consumers, and the price difference between HD and FHD has fallen to about $10. Bundled into the whole price of a laptop, the difference does not appear to amount relative to the much greater improvement in image quality.

Another factor pushing the change may have to do with the longer lifecycles of laptops and tablets. This is part of the reason sales have been falling in these areas while remaining strong in certain niche categories. Consumers are willing to spend more money on better hardware if they are going to be using the product for several years. More video is going to HD now as well. Online streaming from sites such as Netflix and YouTube and recordings on smartphones is often done in HD. Consumers are definitely able to notice the difference now when they upgrade to a product with a better screen.

See a comparison table of selected laptop & desktop suppliers on GlobalSources.com