The global semiconductor market grew 8.4% in 4Q 2023 from 3Q 2023, according to WSTS. The 8.4% gain was the highest quarter-to-quarter growth since 9.1% in 2Q 2021. This was also the highest 3Q to 4Q increase in 20 years, since an 11% rise in 4Q 2003. 4Q 2023 was up 11.6% from a year ago, following five quarters of negative year-to-year… Read More
In August 2022, U.S. President Biden signed into law the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 to provide incentives for semiconductor manufacturing in the United States. In a case of creating the acronym first and then finding a name to fit, CHIPS stands for Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors. The act provides a total… Read More
The global semiconductor market is now solidly in a turnaround. WSTS revised its data for 2Q 2023 growth over 1Q 2023 to 6.0% from 4.2% previously. 3Q 2023 was up 6.3% from 2Q 2023. With our Semiconductor Intelligence forecast of 3% growth in 4Q 2023, the year-to-year growth in 4Q 2023 will be a positive 6%. This will set the stage for… Read More
Production of electronic devices is finally on the uptrend following a post-pandemic slump in late 2021. According to IDC, smartphone shipments versus a year ago turned negative in 3Q 2021 at -6%. The decline hit a low of -18% in 4Q 2022. Since then, smartphones have been recovering. IDC data is not yet available, but Canalys estimated… Read More
The current slump in the electronics market began in 2021. Smartphone shipments versus a year earlier turned negative in 3Q 2021. The smartphone market declines in 2020 were primarily due to COVID-19 related production cutbacks. The current smartphone decline is due to weak demand. According to IDC, smartphone shipments were… Read More
The global semiconductor market dropped 8.7% in 1st quarter 2023 versus 4th quarter 2022, according to WSTS. This was the steepest quarter-to-quarter decline since a 14.7% drop in 1Q 2019. 1Q 2023 was down 21.3% from a year earlier, the largest year-to-year decline in thirteen years since a 30.4% drop in 1Q 2009. Revenues of the … Read More
Shipments of PCs and smartphones were weak in 2022 and continue to decline in 2023. For the first quarter of 2023, IDC estimated PC shipments dropped 29% from a year earlier. This follows a 28% year-to-year decline in 4Q 2022. For the year 2022, PC shipments declined 16% from 2021, the largest year-to-year decline in the history of… Read More
Automotive appears to be about the only bright spot in the semiconductor market for 2023. Forecasts for the overall semiconductor market range from a decline of 4% to a decline of 20%. Semiconductor companies generally have bleak outlooks for the start of 2023, citing excess inventories ad weak end market demand. The chart below… Read More
The semiconductor market declined 6.3% in 3Q 2022 from 2Q 2022, according to WSTS. Based on the outlook for 4Q 2022, the second half of 2022 will be down over 10% from the first half of 2022. The 2H 2022 decline will be the largest half-year decline since a 21% drop in the first half of 2009 versus the second half of 2008 during the great … Read More
Third quarter 2022 data on PC and smartphone shipments shows a continuing year-to-year decline. IDC estimates PC units in 3Q 2022 were down 15% from a year earlier, matching the 2Q 2022 decline. IDC’s September forecast for PC units was a 12.8% decline for the year 2022, which is in line with the latest quarterly data. Canalys estimates… Read More
