Apple spurs touch-screen technology growth

The fervor over iPhones, iPads and other tablets and smartphones has stoked the market for all that makes people want to get their hands on them. With shipments of touch-screen displays booming, the market for touch-controller integrated circuits has nearly tripled during the past five years and is projected to continue growing, according to IHS iSuppli.

If demand continues to grow at this rate, shipments are projected to reach 2.4 billion units in 2015, up from 865 million two years ago, IHS reports. Guess who's to thank for their booming popularity? “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," said Randy Lawson, principal analyst for display and consumer electronics at IHS. "Since the appearance of the iPhone, many other smartphone manufacturers have jumped on the bandwagon by deploying sophisticated touch sensors for their products.”