semiconductors

Business
January 24, 2012
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Apple is now the largest buyer of semiconductors in the world

By on January 24, 2012 at 4:00 PM.

Apple is now the largest buyer of semiconductors in the world

Apple is now the largest buyer of semiconductors in the world, according to market research firm Gartner. The Cupertino-based company trailed both Samsung and HP in 2010, however Apple’s spending is estimated to have jumped 34.6% in 2011. The company spent $17.3 billion on semiconductors in 2011, or 5.7% of the total share of chip purchases. Coming in second was Samsung, which spent $16.7 billion or 5.5% of all chip purchases, and HP came in third with $16.6 billion. Leading electronics manufacturers spent a total of $105.6 billion on semiconductor purchases last year, representing a year-over-year increase of $1.8 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’s press release follows below. More →

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General
January 28, 2011
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Samsung reports Q4 earnings: revenue and income grow, profit slides

By on January 28, 2011 at 10:50 AM.

Samsung reports Q4 earnings: revenue and income grow, profit slides

Samsung on Friday reported its fourth quarter and full year 2010 earnings, highlighting revenue and net income growth but missing Wall Street’s consensus as operating profit slid for the first time in six quarters. The company posted fourth quarter revenue of 41.87 trillion won, up 7% from the same quarter in 2009, and net income was up 13% year-over-year to 3.42 trillion won. Operating profit missed the Street’s consensus, however, falling 12% year-over-year to 3.01 trillion won. Samsung reported record revenue for the full year, up 13% from 2009 to 154.63 trillion won. 2010 net income set a full-year record as well, up 65% year-over-year to 16.15 trillion won, as did full-year operating income, which came in at 17.3 trillion won. Samsung’s mobile division reported a record profit of 1.44 trillion won in the fourth quarter, up 38% year-over-year, and the company shipped 80.7 million cell phones in the quarter. Full-year shipments reached 280 million units, up 23% from 2009 and outpacing the global market. Hit the break for Samsung’s full press release. More →

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Business
January 5, 2011
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Qualcomm to acquire chip maker Atheros for $3.1 billion

By on January 5, 2011 at 10:00 AM.

Qualcomm to acquire chip maker Atheros for $3.1 billion

Qualcomm announced Wednesday that it will acquire microchip maker Atheros. The $3.1 billion deal is set to be the largest acquisition in Qualcomm’s history. The two companies have worked together on several products in the past, and Qualcomm intends to use Atheros’ products to expand onto new platforms and into new markets. Atheros develops and builds the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chipsets found in a wide variety of popular devices, including the Amazon Kindle and Apple notebooks. The implications of this deal are tremendous, and could ultimately result in the inclusion of cellular radios in countless popular consumer electronics products moving forward. The Atheros acquisition has been approved by the boards of both companies and now awaits regulatory approval and the approval of Atheros’ shareholders. The deal is expected to close some time in the first half of 2011. Hit the break for Qualcomm’s full press release. More →

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