Apple tops OEM purchase of semiconductor

In 2010 Apple topped the OEM table for purchase of semiconductors - a trend that is forecast to continue in 2011 spurred by demand for iPads, iPhones and (to a lesser degree) iPods and Macs. When I saw the headline figure projected at $22Bn for 2011 -  it got me wondering how polarised the market actually is at the top end as the figure looks large in comparison to the overall market in 2010 ($304Bn).

Using the figures from iSuppli, the top 10 OEMs account for 32.3% and all bar Cisco are household names... so that does not look too polarised to me. It is old news now but what is also worthy of note, however, is how the markets came back after 2009 - memory helped elevate the fortunes of Samsung to close the gap on Intel and causing commentators to suggest Samsung will take the crown mid-decade. Of equal interest is that the fabless companies under-performed the overall market.