Market Analysis of Baseband, Application Processor,
RF & Power Management Chips

Report No: 1210

From a cellphone standpoint the biggest market change in 2011 was in "Smartphones," which have quickly taken over much of what was the less-expensive "feature phone" market segment.  This trend is largely because the Android operating system (O/S) has also been enabled on less-expensive chip platforms. Consequently, in 2012 we will see Smartphones that range from $100 at the low end to $700 at the high end. This has led to further segmentation of the Smartphone market.  Computing Tablets are also becoming significant markets for cellular chips and we cover them, too. 

To provide product and market planners with calibration on the market Forward Concepts is offering this extensive (312-page) market study that covers the core integrated circuits that enable cellphones and cellular-connected tablets.  In this study, we don't just track basebands and application processors, we also track and forecast RF transceivers, power amplifiers, and power management units in great detail. The report provides 2011 vendor market shares for each of these core cellphone chip types and forecasts units, ASPs and revenues for all of them in detail through 2016.

Of course, most interest is now about 4G cellular, in the form of LTE (Long Term Evolution).  We highlight the currently-available LTE chips and many of their "sockets" at the beginning of 2012.  However, 3.5G HSPA devices are growing much faster as many 2G and WCDMA networks are being updated.

This study explores the dynamics of each of these baseband types and profiles the chip providers and market shares for each of them.

To only forecast baseband processors separately from application processors would be unhelpful, since the two increasingly occupy the same die (or the same package).  Stand-alone basebands currently account for under 40% of that market, as illustrated, but will see that share diminish as technology and price pressures push for more integrated solutions.

We forecast the digital baseband processor market in three major categories:

• Stand-alone digital baseband processors (SA DBB),

• Integrated communication processors (Com DBB): application processors+baseband, &

• Integrated ultra-low-cost (ULC DBB) basebands with RF transceiver on the same die.

In a similar vein, application processors are forecast as three different types:

• Stand-alone Application Processors (SA-Processor)

• Integrated communication processors (Com-Processors) , &

• Video Co-Processors as adjuncts to basic RISCs

This study explores the dynamics of each of these application processor types and profiles the chip providers and market shares for each of them.

The RF transceiver is a key component of mobile handsets, as it is the actual radio transmitter and receiver...once separate devices, but now available as a single device...and increasingly being integrated onto the baseband chip (at least for 2.5G solutions).

The complexity of new radio components for advanced handsets has pushed the leading suppliers into two camps, those that specialize in RF power amplifiers bundled with transceivers as an optimized solution, and those that offer ultra-compact, multi-band transceivers and matching basebands fabricated with the latest CMOS technology.

Cellular handsets and other mobile devices require efficient power management unit (PMU) devices as companions to all processors to ensure optimal system operation and long battery life.  Because power management technology requires mixed-signal capability, analog baseband (ABB) and audio codecs are often integrated on the same die.

We believe that there is no other core cellphone chip market study available that has the breadth or depth of coverage of this one. You are invited to scan the extensive table of contents to get an idea of the full extent of this valuable study and all of the components and companies covered.

As with all of our reports, your satisfaction is guaranteed.

1 We don't double count com-processors, but we do analyze from different market standpoints.

About the Author:
Carter L. Horney, a recognized authority on microprocessors and DSPs  in communications, is the author of this study.  Mr. Horney is a Forward Concepts Associate and was formerly Division Planner for Rockwell International’s Digital Communications Division and earlier Strategic Marketing manager for Rockwell’s Semiconductor Products Division.  Mr. Horney was responsible for the product planning, which led Rockwell (now Conexant Systems) to dominate the worldwide FAX and dial modem chip market.  He was a Rockwell Engineering Fellow and has a B.S. in Mathematics and Physics and an M.S. in Mathematics from Western Illinois University.

About the Editor:
Will Strauss, President of Forward Concepts, is an internationally-recognized authority on markets driven by DSP Technology (and wireless is the largest DSP market), and was a significant contributor to this study.

Size:
Report provided only in electronic form (PDF), with enterprise-wide license privileges:
312 Pages, 71 Figures, 44 Tables, plus Appendix

Price
North American & International Price: $3,850.00