We are going to Barcelona for MWC. This is what we plan to learn about:
* Open RAN
* Cellular modem penetration beyond phones
* Cellular connectivity in cars and auto makers’ changing relationships with chip vendors
* The state of the wireless standards
Moore’s Law brings benefits beyond semis. The price and accuracy of sensors are both moving in the right direction allowing for fine-grained pervasive sensor networks, just as advances in AI mean we can make real use of all that data.
As we keep saying, IoT is not one thing. So maybe we should find a better way to segment the market. We think companies can analyst the opportunities available based on the complexity and engineering required to deliver their product to market.
IoT is a fragmented. Just looking at all the options for the connectivity side of IoT devices shows how diverse the options are. And as frustrating as that is to analyze, it has the advantage of providing the flexibility for customized solutions.
IoT is both much slower to develop and also much, much bigger than we originally imagined.
IoT is a catch all marketing team that has been bandied about for decades. There is really no such thing as IoT, but the number of connected devices is growing rapidly, and likely to accelerate as the cost of chips brings connectivity to many new areas.
We believe, with increasing conviction, that the market for IoT chips is not going to go to Arm. But it is not going to go to x86 or Intel either. It is going to go RISC V.
Where is Qualcomm Driving? – As the smartphone market matures, Qualcomm has finally taken steps to diversify into new markets – IoT and Auto both offer big opportunities, but may be many years away.
SLAB Bets the House on IOT – Silicon Labs’ IoT business could be immensely valuable, if it works. And they seem to think it really will work.
The Private Parts Networking – we like the technology behind private networks, it’s the business model that leaves us with a lot of questions.