Samsung passes Apple as top global semiconductor buyer, Gartner says

Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
Samsung last year overtook Apple as the world's top purchaser of semiconductors, according to new figures out Wednesday from industry analyst Gartner.

The two tech giants together account for more than 15 percent of all semiconductors bought last year, more than the next five buyers combined. Gartner's figures are based on analysis of the design total available market (TAM) ? the total silicon content in all products designed by a certain manufacturer ? and show Apple and Samsung together consuming $45.3 billion in semiconductors in 2012, up $7.9 billion from 2011.

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Samsung's semiconductor consumption is said to have grown 28.9 percent year-over-year, giving the South Korean firm an eight percent overall share of semiconductor buys and moving it past Apple for the year. Apple, meanwhile, saw its semiconductor purchases grow 13.6 percent year-over-year. The Cupertino company took 7.2 percent of all semiconductor purchases.

Together, the two companies accounted for 15.2 percent of 2012 semiconductor demand. By comparison, the next five largest consumers ? HP, Dell, Sony, Lenovo, and Toshiba ? accounted for 15.1 percent of demand between them.

Gartner's figures largely reflect the changing landscape of the computing sector. Computing giants such as HP and Dell have seen demand for their traditional computing form factors fall in the face of increased interest in smartphones and tablets, the segments where Apple and Samsung are strongest. Troubled phone manufacturer Nokia fell five spots from its position on Gartner's list last year as demand for its handsets cratered.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 21
    If they are selling more phones (all models) overall than Apple, doesn't this make sense?
  • Reply 2 of 21
    starbird73 wrote: »
    If they are selling more phones (all models) overall than Apple, doesn't this make sense?

    Yeah... it's a non-story story.
  • Reply 3 of 21
    rob53rob53 Posts: 3,304member
    And this matters for what reason???

    Samsung builds a lot more devices than Apple, like TVs and refrigerators. Add all the other junk they build and it doesn't surprise me they buy more semiconductors than Apple. As everyone knows, it's not how many things you buy it's what you do with them.
  • Reply 4 of 21
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,845member
    It seems to matter to a lot of Americans who would prefer to see Korean company, Samsung, sell more of anything than the American company called Apple for some reason that escapes me.
  • Reply 5 of 21

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by digitalclips View Post



    It seems to matter to a lot of Americans who would prefer to see Korean company, Samsung, sell more of anything than the American company called Apple for some reason that escapes me.


     


     


    A lot of Americans are upside down on mortgages, underemployed, saddled with CC debt and not all rosy. A lot of Americans like to cut corners where they can. To many a Timex tells the same time as a Rolex, a Camry gets to the same destination as a BMW, Walmart sells edible bananas like Whole Foods, and a Galaxy Device opens the same Facebook app as the iPhone. 

  • Reply 6 of 21
    Wow, that's impressive for Apple.

    Samsung sells a gazillion electronic devices from computers and laptops to TV's, LCD monitors, hard drives, cameras/camcorders, appliances, home stereo and even phones/tablets.

    Yet despite their huge portfolio of devices they only beat Apple by a small margin? And to think there are idiots out there who think Apple taking their business from Samsung to their competitors won't have any impact on Samsung.
  • Reply 7 of 21
    nhtnht Posts: 4,522member


    I'm curious to know how they determined that Apple has 7.2% and not 7.1% or 7.3%...

  • Reply 8 of 21

    A lot of Americans are upside down on mortgages, underemployed, saddled with CC debt and not all rosy. A lot of Americans like to cut corners where they can. To many a Timex tells the same time as a Rolex, a Camry gets to the same destination as a BMW, Walmart sells edible bananas like Whole Foods, and a Galaxy Device opens the same Facebook app as the iPhone. 

    I'm curious as to whether you have/do all of those things or whether you simply use an iPhone and want others to imagine that you're checking the time on your Rolex as you step out of your 7 Series at Whole Foods (where you'll purchase organic bananas).
  • Reply 9 of 21


    And Apple is still more profitable.

  • Reply 10 of 21
    paxmanpaxman Posts: 4,729member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by thataveragejoe View Post


     


     


    A lot of Americans are upside down on mortgages, underemployed, saddled with CC debt and not all rosy. A lot of Americans like to cut corners where they can. To many a Timex tells the same time as a Rolex, a Camry gets to the same destination as a BMW, Walmart sells edible bananas like Whole Foods, and a Galaxy Device opens the same Facebook app as the iPhone. 



    And yes, there you have it. It's the truth. If Apple wanted to increase the number of units they sell there is no shortage of people who'd be more than happy to tell them. But I think Apple is doing a pretty good job at running their business profitably whilst producing excellent products. 

  • Reply 11 of 21
    rayzrayz Posts: 814member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by nht View Post


    I'm curious to know how they determined that Apple has 7.2% and not 7.1% or 7.3%...



     


    If you add a decimal point and a few numbers then it makes your guess look a lot more plausible.

  • Reply 12 of 21
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,845member

    A lot of Americans are upside down on mortgages, underemployed, saddled with CC debt and not all rosy. A lot of Americans like to cut corners where they can. To many a Timex tells the same time as a Rolex, a Camry gets to the same destination as a BMW, Walmart sells edible bananas like Whole Foods, and a Galaxy Device opens the same Facebook app as the iPhone. 

    So your logic is if Apple fails that will help all the things you list above? An interesting point of view to be sure.
  • Reply 13 of 21
    quadra 610quadra 610 Posts: 6,757member


    Semiconductors power everything, from the good, to the bad, to the downright ugly.


     


    When you're running a whored-out OS, buying mass quantities of parts for at least 27 models of "smartphone" alone, it's not impressive. 


     


    When you're Apple running a closed OS on at most, three models, buying quantity is more impressive by an order of magnitude. 

  • Reply 14 of 21
    drblankdrblank Posts: 3,385member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by starbird73 View Post



    If they are selling more phones (all models) overall than Apple, doesn't this make sense?


    Samsung sells a lot more than phones, tablets, computers, they also sell quite a few TVs, home appliances, etc., that use chips.  But the more important number is how much Net Profit are they making in comparison?  That's a better number to look at in terms of how well a company is doing.

  • Reply 15 of 21

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by digitalclips View Post





    So your logic is if Apple fails that will help all the things you list above? An interesting point of view to be sure.


     


    Huh? The point is price matters more than anything else to some people, even if you can't understand someone would want something else than you for any reason.  Apple makes a no compromise premium product, it's still not for everyone. Such is life. 

  • Reply 16 of 21
    It seems to matter to a lot of Americans who would prefer to see Korean company, Samsung, sell more of anything than the American company called Apple for some reason that escapes me.

    According to the concern trolls, Apple quit innovating when Steve Jobs died and now it needs to copy Samsung.
  • Reply 17 of 21
    galbigalbi Posts: 968member


    You wont ever see Apple in the $700 share price anymore.

  • Reply 18 of 21
    galbigalbi Posts: 968member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Suddenly Newton View Post





    According to the concern trolls, Apple quit innovating when Steve Jobs died and now it needs to copy Samsung.


     


    Of course.


     


    Apple will soon have a lower priced iPhone, more diverse selection of phones and more hybrids to tailor to the market's needs (something that Jobs and Co. vehemently denied) just like what Samsung has already been doing for all these years.


     


    Apple's business plan is to change. It's just inevitable. The biggest growth in smartphone ownership is in the emerging markets, specifically the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China). These are the markets that Samsung has a stronghold in.


     


    Oh how the course have changed since.


     


    I specifically remember the diehard Apple fans saying that Apple wont ever have another smaller tablet than the original iPad.


     


    Look where that argument has gone to.  It's awfully quiet in that neck of the woods.


     


    Quote:

    Originally Posted by digitalclips View Post



    It seems to matter to a lot of Americans who would prefer to see Korean company, Samsung, sell more of anything than the American company called Apple for some reason that escapes me.


     


    Buying products based on patriotism alone isnt the smartest practice of spending your hard earned dollars. It's a cost vs benefit analysis alot of people do these days.  People are not that blind nor are they that naive.

  • Reply 19 of 21


    Originally Posted by Galbi View Post

    …wont ever…


     


    Yes! Time for hypotheticals!


     


    US dollar collapses, experiencing hyperinflation. Apple skyrockets past $700 per share while not even moving in actual wealth at all.


     


    California and Texas are ISOTed back to 1977. Apple sells its uptime technology to the world, share price skyrockets. 

  • Reply 20 of 21

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by thataveragejoe View Post


     


     


    A lot of Americans are upside down on mortgages, underemployed, saddled with CC debt and not all rosy. A lot of Americans like to cut corners where they can. To many a Timex tells the same time as a Rolex, a Camry gets to the same destination as a BMW, Walmart sells edible bananas like Whole Foods, and a Galaxy Device opens the same Facebook app as the iPhone. 



    The big difference if Yes while apple is an American Company they don't make much in America. Would you buy a Korean phone made by Koreans In Korea or an American phone made in china. Besides overall Quality wise I would say an S III is a Lexus while a iPhone is a Chrysler. 

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