AUSTIN, TX -- Touch screen shipments increased 29% year-over-year in 2009 to 606 million units, DisplaySearch reports.

“Touch screen penetration has been rapidly increasing in mobile phone, PMP/MP3, portable navigation, and other applications. Over the next several years, touch screens will undergo strong growth in large-size applications such as all-in-one PCs, Mini-note/slate PCs, and education/training,” said director of display technologies Jennifer Colegrove, Ph.D.

Projected capacitive shipments have increased substantially. Projected capacitive touch has been popularized by Apple’s iPhone and iPod Touch since 2007, and with the iPad adopting it in 2010, DisplaySearch forecasts that projected capacitive will pass resistive touch technology to become the leading touch technology in 2010, measured by revenues.