Samsung has zoomed past Apple in yet another metric and this time, the South-Korean electronics major leads in the total amount spent on semiconductor chips in 2012.
Surpassing Apple to become the world's biggest semiconductor buyer, Samsung purchased nearly 8 percent, or $23.9 billion, of all chips in 2012, reveals a new Gartner report. Samsung upped its expenditure on semiconductors by 29 percent over the year ($18.6 billion in 2011), reflecting the soaring popularity of its products and the huge volumes its mobile device sales.
Apple stands second in the list of top semiconductor buyers with an overall spending of $21.4, marking a 13.6 percent increase ($18.8 billion in 2011) when compared to the previous year.
"Although Samsung and Apple continue to go from strength to strength, other leading electronic equipment makers fared less well, and six of the top 10 reduced their demand in 2012," said Masatsune Yamaji, principal research analyst at Gartner.
According to Gartner researchers, the tech titans, Samsung and Apple, dominated the semiconductor demand in 2012 accounting for 15 percent of total semiconductor demand (8 percent and 7.2 percent respectively).
"The PC market still represented the largest sector for chip demand, but desktop and mobile PCs did not sell well, as consumers' interest shifted to new mobile computing devices like smartphones and media tablets. This shift caused a substantial decrease in semiconductor demand in 2012, as the semiconductor content of a smartphone or a media tablet is far less than that of a PC," Yamaji said.
HP was ranked third in the list with an overall spending of $16.0 billion (12.7 percent drop from 2011) and Dell came fourth spending $9.9 billion (13.4 percent drop from 2011). The top 10 companies including Sony, Lenovo, Toshiba, LG, Cisco and Nokia accounted for 36 percent ($106.4 billion) of total semiconductor purchases in 2012.
most read
more stories from News
Discover the new Honor 200 Pro, featuring a 50MP Harcourt-engineered camera, Snapdragon 8S Gen 3 processor, 6.78-inch AMOLED display, and advanced AI capabilities. Preorders open in Europe and the UK
ernest hamiltoniOS 18 will bring enhanced flashlight controls with more brightness levels and adjustable beam widths, alongside new customizable home screen app icons. Learn more about the upcoming features and beta release.
ernest hamiltonWhatsApp is beta testing a new feature for Android users that offers better privacy control over status updates. The "status privacy confirmation" feature allows users to select specific contacts for viewing their status updates, ensuring greater privacy and control.
ernest hamiltonSpotify introduces HiFi as a $5 add-on to its Premium Plan, shifting away from a standalone subscription tier. This move follows a recent Premium price hike to $11.99 per month in the U.S., making the total cost for HiFi $16.99. The add-on includes AI-powered playlist creation tools and enhanced song library management. This strategy aims to offer high-quality audio affordably while staying competitive in the streaming market.
ernest hamiltonDiscover the Realme GT 6 launching on June 20, featuring the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 SoC, a 5,500 mAh dual-cell battery with 120W SuperVOOC fast charging, and advanced gaming and camera capabilities.
ernest hamiltonDiscover how Apple's groundbreaking "Apple Intelligence" suite unveiled at WWDC 2024 is set to redefine user interactions with the iPhone, Mac, and beyond, promising seamless integration of advanced AI features while prioritizing user privacy and security.
ernest hamiltonApple is reportedly developing a foldable iPhone with a distinctive wrap-around design similar to the Huawei Mate Xs 2. Expected to launch in 2026, this innovative device could feature a single, continuous display, setting it apart from current foldable smartphones.
ernest hamiltonThe Samsung Galaxy S24 FE is set to feature the same 50MP main camera as the Galaxy S23 and S24, according to recent leaks. Learn more about its anticipated specifications and launch timeline.
ernest hamilton