It’s official, Apple is now the largest semiconductor chip customer in the world, spending some $17 billion on them in 2011. Apple beat out rival Samsung to take the No. 1 position.
AppleInsider reports:
Apple’s ascendance to the top came with 34.6 percent growth from 2010, the largest surge of any other company among the top 10. The iPhone maker jumped two spots from third in 2010 to beat out rival Samsung and take the No. 1 position.
Apple’s $17.3 billion spent on semiconductors in 2011 gave it a 5.7 percent total share of chip purchasing. Second-place Samsung bought $16.7 billion, good for 5.5 percent, while HP came in third with $16.6 billion and 5.5 percent.
Lenovo was another major gainer in the top 10. Their semiconductor purchases grew 23.7 percent from 2010 to 2011, coming in at 8th on the list. Nokia was the biggest loser, they saw their spending plummet 20.1 percent, dropping them from fourth to fifth place.
$105.6 billion in semiconductor purchases were made by the leading electronics manufacturers in 2011, a year over year increase of $1.8 billion from 2010. Major growth drivers were smartphones, media tablets and solid-state drives.
Apple continued it’s growth pattern in 2011 – a pattern seen over the past five years, since the introduction of its iPhone in 2007. Apple gained a greater share of the smartphone market last year, while also having increased success with its iPad and MacBook Air lines.
