According to the new NPD In-Stat report, the growth of mobile processors in 2011 exceeded 43% and is forecast to grow at a 22% CAGR through 2016. Needless to say smartphones and tablets are leading the demand though other devices like e-readers, handheld game consoles, mobile PCs and portable media players are also helping the market grow.
The research company noted Apple’s rise in this segment, propelled by the wild success of their iPhone and iPad. Today, the Cupertino-based company holds the second place for the entire mobile processor market just behind industry leader Intel. Moreover, during this year, Apple will likely capture the top spot in terms of unit shipments.
Key research findings include:
- ARM is the dominant processor architecture with over 73% of all units shipped and is growing.
- Intel’s dominance continues in mobile PCs, while Apple, Qualcomm, and Samsung claim the top spots in other consumer electronic devices.
- Smartphones and tablets represent the greatest opportunity for growth with a combined 75% growth in 2011 and 29.3% CAGR expected through 2016.
- The mobile processor market will begin to consolidate in the 2013/2014 timeframe.
- The release of Windows 8 will be a pivotal point in the competition between the ARM and x86 processor architectures.
And as usual you can get additional information about the report from In-Stat’s website.