RF Semis Update – The More Things Change….
Last week I posted on overview of the RF semis market. I wrote that I expected some big announcements in the space during MWC. I was sadly disappointed. Nothing much […]
Category Archives: Silicon
MWC: Semiconductor Consolidation Cont’d
One of the biggest pieces of news last week was the sale of Freescale to NXP. Both companies have products targeting mobile, but neither can be considered overly reliant on […]
The RF Semiconductor Market – And Why It Matters
The RF Semis Market is about to undergo some dramatic shifts. For the past two years I have been neck deep in that market, but am no longer employed there. […]
If Apple Built a Car in the Forest, Would We Hear It?
I have no idea if Apple is going to build a car, but if they were, I think we would see signs of preparation in the supply chain two years ahead of a launch.
A close-read of Qualcomm’s China press release
Qualcomm announced a settlement of the NDRC China investigation. The very dense press release raises as many questions as it answers. Bad news: a 46% reduction in royalty rates. Good news: lots of friends in China, audit rights and the ability to charge royalties for TD phones. Hard to fully gauge, but seems like a net positive.
Semiconductor Consolidation is Coming
The semiconductor industry is not really a growth industry anymore, and resembles the steel industry as much as anything. That means scale matters, leaving M&A as the most likely path to growth, and possibly survival.
Qualcomm in China – Some Signs of Progress
I recently had the chance to catch up with a few contacts from China who think the end is in sight for Qualcomm’s troubles with the government, but timing is uncertain and will likely result in a reduction in royalty rates.
A new model for semiconductor investing
There was an interesting post on Techcrunch this afternoon, called “The Revival of Semiconductor Investing”. The title alone touched a nerve. It states something that I would very much like […]
MWC 2014: The Times they are Changing – Recap
Before the show, I posted that the nature of MWC has changed a lot over the years. This used to be a show solely focused on selling heavy iron networking […]
The One Metric that matters most in Taiwan – non-PC Revenue
I heard an interesting metric today. A friend of mine had just gotten back from Taiwan where he was looking for a contract manufacturer for his clever new device. He […]