Europe Touch Screen Controllers Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2022 - 2027)

The European touch screen controllers market was valued at USD 0.706 billion in 2020, and it is expected to reach USD 1.68 billion by 2026 and register a CAGR of 14.74% over the forecast period (2021 - 2026).

Key Highlights

• Since capacitive touchscreen control uses an electro-capacitive detection method, a layer of safety glass is mounted over the structure to seal it instead of using a flexible sheet of polyurethane for a resistive screen. This provides a more durable design to consumers. This property has made them prominent over resistive controllers.
• Technological advances in gesture recognition have spurred market expansion by enabling motions such as slide, pinch-to-zoom, swipe (or flick), twist, and press-and-hold (or long-press). Furthermore, the automobile industry has substantially influenced the touch screen controller market.
• A capacitive touchscreen uses two layers of ITO (indium tin oxide) or, in some cases, uses a patterned sensor similar to a checkerboard. Hence, only one full sheet covering the LCD is possible, providing a clearer screen.
• In addition to an increase in shipped touchscreen units, the projected capacitive touchscreens replace resistive technology in automotive applications. Automotive manufacturers are incorporating touchscreens into various applications, such as center stack displays, navigation systems, radio human-machine interfaces (HMIs), car window switches, keyless entry, and rear-seat entertainment systems.

Key Market Trends

Capacitive Touch Screens to Account for a Significant Market Share

• Capacitive touchscreen consists of two spaced layers of glass, which are coated with conductors like indium tin oxide (ITO). A capacitive touchscreen controller uses an electro capacitive method of detection; a layer of safety glass is placed on top of the structure to seal it, as against using a flexible sheet of polyurethane for a resistive touchscreen. This provides consumers with a durable design.
• Unlike resistive touchscreens, capacitive touchscreens do not rely on finger pressure. Instead, these work with anything that holds an electrical charge, including human skin. As the technology relies upon electrical interference from a conductive source, capacitive touchscreens do not work via most gloves as they are electrically insulating. These screens are mainly used in most consumer products, such as tablets, laptops, and smartphones.
• These touchscreens accept multi-touch controls and require less physical force to register a touch. They are longer-lived compared to resistive touch screens, thus, making them suitable for high-grade panel controllers or mobile phones.
• Human-machine interface technologies have witnessed a paradigm shift, owing to the increasing information interchange between social and various systems in appliances. This has resulted in a surge in demand for capacitive touch screen controllers, as they are deployed for the implementation of human-machine interface (HMI) applications, such as indoor illumination control, Air conditioning, etc.

The Consumer Electronics Segment is Expected to Hold the Major Share

• The consumer electronics segment is one of the market's most essential and influential categories. A variety of products has adopted touch screens due to the segment's increased demand for new and innovative products.
• Mobile phones, wearables, tablets, laptops, and PCs are a few examples of consumer electronics items that have incorporated touch capabilities on a larger scale. Washing machines, freezers, copiers, and other devices have recently been outfitted with touch-enabled interfaces to provide a better user experience and create distinguishable demand.
• Due to the increase in disposable income, consumers are opting for products with appealing designs and extensive features. Smart and connected consumer electronics are becoming ever more prominent among UK consumers. With such growing demand for these devices, the demand for touchscreen controllers in the European market is likely to increase over the forecast period in the country.

Competitive Landscape

The European touch screen controllers market is highly competitive and consists of several major players. In terms of market share, few of the major players currently dominate the market. Competitive rivalry in the industry is governed by the presence of major players, such as NXP Semiconductors, Texas Instruments Incorporated, STMicroelectronics, Microchip Technology Inc., Integrated Device Technology Inc., etc. The companies are struggling to achieve a competitive advantage over other players through innovation and are developing differentiated products for various applications.

• January 2022: Omnivision launched a full high definition 144 Hz Touch and Display Driver for smartphones. This product enables 1080 pixel full high definition (FHD) resolution, up to 144 Hz display frame rate with the touch report rate doubling the display frame rate in LCD display and touch solutions.
• April 2021: TLC Europe launched the RP503SXE0 refrigerator to provide interconnected smart home solutions under its AI x IoT strategy. RP503SXE0 is designed with a digital display on the front panel and is made of a matt stainless-steel finish, a resistant and aesthetic coating.

Additional Benefits:

• The market estimate (ME) sheet in Excel format
• 3 months of analyst support