Chip Makers Continue R&D Spending Streak
Following record-high investments in 2021, chip companies are set to raise their R&D spending 9 percent this year to reach a level of $80.5 billion
Samsung Displaces Intel as Top Chip Supplier
With expected semiconductor sales of $83 billion in 2021, Samsung will displace Intel in the top spot of 17 companies
Foundry Sales to Surpass $100 Billion in 2021
Robust demand for advanced processors used in networking and data center computers, new 5G smartphones, and ICs used in other high-growth electronics market applications such as robotics, self-driving vehicles and driver-assist automation, artificial intelligence, machine-learning and image recognition systems is forecast to lift total foundry sales to $107.2 billion in 2021, a 23 percent increase…
DRAM Shortage Spotlights Small Memory Suppliers
Sales of DRAM—the most commoditized of electronic components – grew 26 percent in Q2 2021 to $24.1 billion and propelled Samsung to the world’s leading chip supplier for the same period. But DRAM is also known for frequent boom-to-bust cycles and supplies are looking tight into next year. All of which is good for fabless…
Samsung Passes Intel as No. 1 Chip Supplier in Q2 2021
Driven by surging demand and rising prices for DRAM and flash memory, Samsung, the world’s largest memory supplier, saw its total semiconductor sales increase 19 percent in 2Q21 to $20.3 billion, moving it past Intel and into first place to become the world’s largest semiconductor supplier for 2Q21, IC Insights reported. Samsung was previously ranked…
Texas Snowstorms to Disrupt Electronics Supply Chain
The snowstorms in Texas have led to a 133-car pileup, nearly a half-million without power, and millions in the state under boil-water notices. The storms’ impact on semiconductor fabrication plants in the Lone Star state has also received attention. “The storm-related power outages in Texas could have a mind-blowing impact on fabs and, in turn,…
Managing the Semiconductor Shortage of 2021, Part 2
A perfect storm of events have converged to create the semiconductor shortage of 2021. High-level collaboration across the electronics supply chain could make the deficit less painful, experts say. Shortages often prompt less-than-optimum purchasing behaviors. Competitive bidding for inventory drives prices up. Exceptions to approved vendor lists become common. And double-ordering – where purchase orders…
Gartner: Q1 Global Smartphone Sales Down 20.2%
Global smartphone sales to end users declined 20.2% in the first quarter of 2020, according to Gartner, Inc. The global shelter-in-place combined with the economic uncertainty brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic led to demand for smartphones collapsing as consumers stopped spending on nonessential products during the first quarter. “The coronavirus pandemic caused the global smartphone market…
5 Ways Coronavirus Is Affecting the Smartphone Industry
The first quarter of 2020 has represented a historic low for the smartphone industry. While some technology sectors, like cloud services, have excelled amid the coronavirus pandemic, the mobile industry has not. As Covid-19 continues to spread throughout the globe, it’s causing substantial economic effects on smartphone companies. Counterpoint Research reports a 13% year-over-year loss…
Semiconductor Market Fell 11.9% in 2019, Gartner Reports
Worldwide semiconductor revenue totaled $418.3 billion in 2019, down 11.9 percent from 2018, according to preliminary results by Gartner, Inc. Intel regained the No. 1 position in the market as the downturn in the memory market negatively impacted many of the top vendors, including Samsung Electronics, the No. 1 vendor by revenue in 2018 and…