Foxconn Electronics, the new owners of Sharp are keen to re-enter the Australia TV market with Japanese Made TV’s, despite several retailers looking to pair back the amount of TV brands they sell.
Foxconn executives in Asia, have told ChannelNews that there is “every possibility” that Sharp could renter the local TV market.
“It will depend on how local retailers react” they said.
Last year Sharp pulled out of the Australian display market despite having a premium award winning TV range. The decision which was made by management who have since left the local subsidiary.
The new Sharp Aquos TV’s that could be used, to re-enter the Australian market, are 60? 70? and 55? Ultra High Definition 4K models that will all be made in Japan.
Last week Foxconn who took control of Sharp last year, said that they aim to increase global sales of Sharp-produced Aquos-branded LCD TVs to 10-12 million units in 2017 and will therefore hike Sharp’s LVCD TV panel production capacity in Japan, according to IHS Markit.
Monthly production capacity at Sharp’s 8G panel factory in Mie Prefecture, southwestern Japan, will increase from 50,000 glass substrates currently to 60,000 units beginning third-quarter 2017, with the additional 10,000 glass substrates to be used to make 45- and 55-inch Ultra HD TV panels.
Sharp’s subsidiary panel maker Sakai Display Products, of which Foxconn chairman Terry Guo is a main shareholder, is expanding monthly production capacity at a 10G LCD factory in western Japan from 72,000 glass substrates originally to 78,000 units to increase output of 60-inch and above TV panels.
Beginning in the second-quarter 2017, the 10G factory will ship 250,000 60-inch TV panels and 120,000 70-inch units a month.
