TAIPEI, Taiwan — Touch panel maker Wintek was once one the main suppliers for Apple, but placed a bet that failed after the Cupertino-based group selected a rival touchscreen technology in late 2012, the company said on December 12, its board had agreed to lay off 2,360 employees in its latest restructuring, after cutting 610 jobs earlier this month.
Huang Xian-xiong, Chairperson and General Manager of Wintek verified that its board had agreed to lay off 2,360 employees in its latest restructuring. Source said that Wintek probably will give up on its touch panel businesses and transform into LED and food Biotechnology fields.
It was understood that Wintek was the largest supplier of touchscreens for the iPhone 4, Apple switched to a different technology in 2012 for its iPhone 5, eliminating much of Apple's need for Wintek's technology.
Moreover, Apple then opted for film touch panels in 2013 in its iPads, rather than the glass touch panels made by Wintek.
Wintek was famous for its touch screen panel technologies, including scan driver on glass panel technology (SOG), in cell touch panel, multi-touch resistive TP, electrophoretic display (EPD) technology, wide viewing angle technology, low power solution-full ABC, thin film & plasma technology, and electrowetting display (EWD).
