Samsung Retakes Title of World's Largest Semiconductor Customer from Apple in 2012

[MacRumors]

Research firm Gartner today shared its estimates of global semiconductor purchases for 2012, finding that Samsung has retaken the title Apple had gained in 2011 when it leapt over both Samsung and HP. Samsung (28.9% growth) and Apple (13.6% growth) registered as the biggest winners in 2012, as the overall market declined by 3% with Sony (1.9%) and Lenovo (0.3%) being the only other top-ten companies showing positive performance.

"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. "In addition to a weak macroeconomic situation, a dramatic change in consumer demand contributed to a reduction in semiconductor demand in 2012.

Yamaji pointed to the strong shift to mobile devices as a primary reason for the overall decline in the semiconductor market, with traditional computers that require significantly higher semiconductor content experiencing relatively poor sales in the face of smartphone and tablet popularity.

Top Ten 2012 Semiconductor Customers (Billions of Dollars)

Samsung and Apple together now account for over 15% of the world's semiconductor market, up from roughly 12% in 2011.

Gartner's numbers measure the total silicon content of all products designed by Apple and each of its competitors, a metric known as Design TAM. This is distinct from Purchasing TAM, which would attribute to a given company only the amount actually purchased by the company. As an example of the difference between the two metrics, semiconductors purchased by a third-party manufacturing partner would generally count toward the primary company's Design TAM but not its Purchasing TAM.

Article Link: Samsung Retakes Title of World's Largest Semiconductor Customer from Apple in 2012

[slffl]

So Samsung spent more money on semiconductors? I don't get what this is supposed to tell us. That they buy more units? That they pay more per unit? Seriously, people will write anything these days for click bait.

[Stella]

The only point I see to this article post is another worthless apple vs samsung flame war.

[Squilly]

Well... That was pointless. Summary: Samsung now buys more semiconductors for their products.

[pixelpro]

Breaking news: Samsung sells more washing machines than Apple. Apple stock drops more than 30%!

Does anyone see the fallacy above?

[lilo777]

Originally Posted by pixelpro

In other news: Samsung sells more washing machines than Apple!

At least Samsung does not use chips in their cables (hint: Thunderbolt)

[samcraig]

Originally Posted by slffl

So Samsung spent more money on semiconductors? I don't get what this is supposed to tell us. That they buy more units? That they pay more per unit? Seriously, people will write anything these days for click bait.

Originally Posted by Stella

The only point I see to this article post is another worthless apple vs samsung flame war.

And this is different from several articles that appear here?

Threads not even about Samsung (or any competitor) wind up being stupid pissing contests

[ArchAndroid]

Originally Posted by Squilly

Well... That was pointless. Summary: Samsung now buys more semiconductors for their products.

I think reading between the lines, one can surmise that Samsung requires a lot more semiconductors than Apple and the reason why the numbers are so close is because of the presumably because of the large discount Samsung Fabs gives Samsung Electronics.

[tevion5]

Originally Posted by Stella

The only point I see to this article post is another worthless apple vs samsung flame war.

[lilo777]

Numbers in this table does not tell the whole story. Given the fact that Samsung itself is one of the largest semiconductor manufactures in the World, it means that in total (purchased and it owns chips) Samsung uses way more chips than any other companies. Still some people will probably tell that the numbers of Samsung's "sold" phones/tablets are fake because those are "shipped" units

[gnasher729]

Originally Posted by lilo777

Numbers in this table does not tell the whole story. Given the fact that Samsung itself is one of the largest semiconductor manufactures in the World, it means that in total (purchased and it owns chips) Samsung uses way more chips than any other companies. Still some people will probably tell that the numbers of Samsung's "sold" phones/tablets are fake because those are "shipped" units

You didn't read the article properly. At about the last third it explains that you are exactly wrong.

[lilo777]

Originally Posted by gnasher729

You didn't read the article properly. At about the last third it explains that you are exactly wrong.

You are correct (I did not read the entire article). This means that Apple still buys more chips than Samsung.

[lilo777]

Originally Posted by slffl

So Samsung spent more money on semiconductors? I don't get what this is supposed to tell us. That they buy more units? That they pay more per unit? Seriously, people will write anything these days for click bait.

When Apple was on the top, it was interpreted as the fact that Apple has huge over over suppliers which allows them to get lower component prices. Perhaps now same could be said about Samsung. Also Apple's reduced influence may mean higher component prices (and negative consequences for AAPL)

[AnorexicPig]

Originally Posted by lilo777

When Apple was on the top, it was interpreted as the fact that Apple has huge over over suppliers which allows them to get lower component prices. Perhaps now same could be said about Samsung. Also Apple's reduced influence may mean higher component prices (and negative consequences for AAPL)

still is on top

[Nightarchaon]

= no2 outside USA, Samsung is kicking ass with its CHOICE of smartphones , giving the consumer the choice of screen size and form factors is a GOOD THING ,not a bad thing, should wake up from the torpor its been in since SJs death and gets back to innovating instead of incrementally updating and reacting to the competition it "might" keep its head afloat, other wise its heading back to the dark days of just churning out pretty, expensive, boxes with nothing on them that anyone wants.

Actually i hope gets driven out of the smartphone and tablet markets eventually, and gets back to producing and investing in its desktops

as far as semi conductors go, isnt there only like 3 companies that actually MAKE these things anyway, everyone else just rents their machines

[abhishake]

Originally Posted by Nightarchaon

Actually i hope gets driven out of the smartphone and tablet markets eventually, and gets back to producing and investing in its desktops

Please be quiet (**** got blanked). And you used wayy too many icons for a post.

[AnorexicPig]

Originally Posted by Nightarchaon

= no2 outside USA, Samsung is kicking ass with its CHOICE of smartphones , giving the consumer the choice of screen size and form factors is a GOOD THING ,not a bad thing, should wake up from the torpor its been in since SJs death and gets back to innovating instead of incrementally updating and reacting to the competition it "might" keep its head afloat, other wise its heading back to the dark days of just churning out pretty, expensive, boxes with nothing on them that anyone wants.

Actually i hope gets driven out of the smartphone and tablet markets eventually, and gets back to producing and investing in its desktops

as far as semi conductors go, isnt there only like 3 companies that actually MAKE these things anyway, everyone else just rents their machines

Really ! Last I read- still had some 65% profits in mobile space and 60% or more market share in tablets !

[BvizioN]

Originally Posted by Nightarchaon

Actually i hope gets driven out of the smartphone and tablet markets eventually, and gets back to producing and investing in its desktops

That was a joke, right?

[Sy7ygy]

Originally Posted by Nightarchaon

= no2 outside USA, Samsung is kicking ass with its CHOICE of smartphones , giving the consumer the choice of screen size and form factors is a GOOD THING ,not a bad thing, should wake up from the torpor its been in since SJs death and gets back to innovating instead of incrementally updating and reacting to the competition it "might" keep its head afloat, other wise its heading back to the dark days of just churning out pretty, expensive, boxes with nothing on them that anyone wants.

Actually i hope gets driven out of the smartphone and tablet markets eventually, and gets back to producing and investing in its desktops

as far as semi conductors go, isnt there only like 3 companies that actually MAKE these things anyway, everyone else just rents their machines

lolwut?

You really, really do not want that - otherwise say hello to appalling updates, plastic hardware & god awful customer service.

[drblank]

Originally Posted by slffl

So Samsung spent more money on semiconductors? I don't get what this is supposed to tell us. That they buy more units? That they pay more per unit? Seriously, people will write anything these days for click bait.

It a dumb way to analyze a company unless they use the exact same parts and you are just comparing EXACT LIKE FOR LIKE. But that's never the case.

There are things that Samsung makes that Apple doesn't. Like TVs, appliances, traditional cell phones.

Personally, whomever at Gartner that tracks and releases this info should have their head decapitated. There is NOTHING relevant at all. Not one single Financial analyst worth a crap would use this information for anything other that using the paper it's printed on to line a cage for a bird.

It's a useless study. They might as well study how many rolls of toilet paper each of these companies use in a year, that would be just as relevant.

[drblank]

Originally Posted by slffl

So Samsung spent more money on semiconductors? I don't get what this is supposed to tell us. That they buy more units? That they pay more per unit? Seriously, people will write anything these days for click bait.

Yeah, and you can thank Gartner for bringing up the data in the first place.

This is worthless data to use to make judgements of a company or to compare.

[iMikeT]

Samsung preparing for their own demise?

[WindWaker]

A prestigious title indeed.

[duneriderltr450]

Queue the AAPL is doomed posts in 3...2...1...

[Skika]

*snore*