Touch screens used in one in three mobile phones

In 2011 touch screens will be seen in one in every three mobile phones. By 2014 they will be in half of all phones.

Consumers have found an affinity for devices that they can control with their fingertips and the touch panel market is growing at a ferocious speed because of it.

The touch panel market is expected to reach $10.42 billion in 2011, almost double its 2010 value of $5.93 billion said Displaybank, a Korean-based research firm specializing in the display industry.

"In 2014, touch panel market size will record 2.6 times greater than the market in 2010 to record $15.64 billion showing 46% average compound annual growth rate," said Irene Heo, senior analyst at Displaybank. 

Touchscreen-enabled smartphones and tablets have become a mainstay in the consumer electronics market over the last two-to-three years and their popularity will continue to boost the touch panel market in the years ahead.

In 2011, 91 percent of mobile phones with a screen size of more than 3" will be equipped with a touch panel.

Small- to medium-sized touch sensitive displays (under 10" in size) will comprise 89 percent of the total touch panel market in 2011 said Displaybank but the demand for larger touchscreen displays is increasing.

"[L]arge-size touch panel share is expected to grow from 11% in 2011 to 22.5% in 2014," said Displaybank.

In April ThinkEquity analyst Rajesh Ghai noted that "Apple has already booked approximately 60% of the total available touch panel capacity," reported American financial magazine Barrons.