Leap Frogging with China Semis
China’s 1,000+ fabless chip design companies are largely emerging in greenfield, new markets – new technologies like AI or new customers like Chinese auto OEMs.
China’s 1,000+ fabless chip design companies are largely emerging in greenfield, new markets – new technologies like AI or new customers like Chinese auto OEMs.
The auto industry has a difficult relationship with semiconductors. Building their own chips is probably not a solution.
We ran the numbers on Apple Car and they look highly achievable at any price. The key to success will be their ability to inspire buyers to upgrade their purchase decision, to stretch a bit. Apple did this in electronics, will the magic transfer to cars?
So far in this series, we have assumed that Apple is going to actually build a car, but there are many things that could go wrong and ultimately these will weigh heavily on a company that prides itself on being able to say no.
Even if the Apple Car is a failure, the supply chain work they have already done will dramatically alter the auto industry. If they deliver a compelling car, the incumbents are in trouble. And what happens if Apple launches with multiple models on day 1?
Apple can use its brand and its software to build a “Luxury” car, and use its supply chain to build that car for less, effectively re-segmenting the industry to maximize profit, not market share.
We are going to explore how Apple can extract and redistribute value in the Autos. First, we look at what Apple is best at.
Qualcomm’s investor day unveiled the company’s new positioning around edge devices, a strategy which allows them to repurpose existing products for a much wider array of customers.
Before we get to autonomous vehicles, there is going to be a big market for a special-purpose automotive processors (APU?). That chip is going to look a lot like a mobile app processor, and Qualcomm may be the best positioned to capture the opportunity.
The market for auto semis never quite seems to live up to its growth forecasts. Someday, it will get there, but there are some good reasons why it will take time.