According to the latest industry estimates, Huawei and ZTE are expected to ship about 50-60 million smartphones in 2015, surpassing their target of 40 million units.
Industry sources reveal that Taiwan PCB manufacturers are expected to secure more orders, particularly for high-end HDI PCB boards, from Huawei and ZTE. This is due to the Chinese vendors ramping up shipments of their tablets in addition to smartphones.
HDI PCB board vendor Compeq Manufacturing, along with iPhone flexible PCB (FPCB) vendors Zhen Ding Technology Holding, Career Technology, and Ichia Technologies, as well as rigid-flex PCB manufacturer T-Flex Techvest PCB, have entered the supply chains of Huawei and ZTE, the sources disclosed.
T-Flex Techvest saw its revenues soar by 33.1% to NT$95 million (US$3.16 million) in April, primarily due to rigid-flex PCB orders from Huawei and ZTE. The sources added that the company’s sales are expected to continue rising in May and June.
T-Flex Techvest also managed to return to profitability in the first quarter of 2014 with an EPS of NT$0.44, according to the company. Huawei and ZTE shipped 5.8 million smartphones in March and a total of 11 million units in the first quarter of 2014, according to company data.