Apple Was the Top Purchaser of Semiconductors in 2011
Gartner has announced that Apple was the number one buyer of semi-conductors in the year 2011. The Cupertino-based company was only at number three when Gartner released the same table a year earlier.
Gartner has released a table of the top ten semiconductor buyers and it seems Apple has snagged the top spot, stealing the slot away from HP. The company increased its semiconductor spending by 34.6 percent, jacking it up from $12.8 billion to $17.3 billion. This surge in spending pushed 2010's number one buyer, HP, out of the top spot. Samsung also increased its semiconductor spending, with an increase of 9.2 percent (up from $15.27 billion to $16.68 billion) being enough to maintain the number two slot. This meant that HP, previously king, was pushed to number three. HP decreased its spending for 2011 by 5.5 percent, or dropping from $17.58 billion in 2010 to $16.61 billion.
"The major growth drivers in 2011 were smartphones, media tablets and solid-state drives (SSDs)," said Masatsune Yamaji, principal research analyst at Gartner. "Those companies that gained share in the smartphone market, such as Apple, Samsung Electronics and HTC, increased their semiconductor demand, while those who lost market share in this segment, such as Nokia and LG Electronics, decreased their semiconductor demand. Media tablets were also a growth driver for the semiconductor market throughout 2011."
Gartner says the top ten purchasers of semiconductors accounted for $105.6 billion of semiconductor demand, a total of 35 percent of total semiconductor chip revenue last year.
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Jane McEntegart is a writer, editor, and marketing communications professional with 17 years of experience in the technology industry. She has written about a wide range of technology topics, including smartphones, tablets, and game consoles. Her articles have been published in Tom's Guide, Tom's Hardware, MobileSyrup, and Edge Up.
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billybobser I wonder what they use it on, since their kit is made by foxconn/samsung.Reply
Maybe they're just stockpiling for when they decide to make something. -
del35 With all the defrauding of dumb clueless consumers they have done, they certainly have the cash to stockpile.Reply -
back_by_demand Interesting stats, it will be even more interesting if they can maintain that growth rate or if Samsung can go top now they are pushing the Galaxy line without injunctions.Reply -
ericburnby billybobserI wonder what they use it on, since their kit is made by foxconn/samsung.Maybe they're just stockpiling for when they decide to make something.Clueless about how products are made I see. Foxconn is an assembler, nothing more. They don't make any of the components - they just put together parts that are shipped to them from Apple suppliers and to Apple specifications. Out of all the work that goes into a produc Foxconn is responsible for about 1% of it.Reply -
ericburnby This is why Samsung Semi loves Apple - they're making billions off them. Still makes me wonder what the semiconductor division thinks of the mobile division and all the lawsuits? I bet internally they're pissed.Reply -
Camikazi madooo12samsung purchases semiconductors i thought they made them ???I'm pretty sure Samsung Electronics and Samsung Semicondutor don't just swap parts, one has to buy the parts from the other. They are basically different businesses who just happen to be under the same corporate name.Reply -
Ragnar-Kon Being an electrical engineer that works in the semiconductor industry, this makes me happy. Job security is a good thing, even if none of the semiconductors I make go into Apple productsReply -
del35 ReplyFoxconn is an assembler, nothing more.
And you are assuming that Apple is designing its hardware in the US. Dream on.