New consumer and mobile MEMS to post 157% growth in 2011?
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Just four years into existence, a segment of the microelectromechanical system (MEMS) market, new MEMS, specifically for consumer electronics and mobile handsets, will grow at a rate of 157.4% in 2011, according to new IHS iSuppli research.
The analyst believes it will power the expansion of the overall MEMS industry and that revenue this year for new consumer and mobile MEMS devices will reach $457.3million, up from $177.6m in 2010.
A category including devices such as 3-axis gyroscopes and pico projectors growth has been extremely high after the category was devised in 2007 to differentiate the segment from that of older, established MEMS. By 2014, IHS forecasts that new MEMS will generate revenue of $1.4billion.
IHS reports that compared to the triple digit growth rate of new consumer and mobile MEMS, the established MEMS segment is poised to expand only 10.4% this year. With older products like accelerometers and single or dual axis gyroscopes in its stable, established MEMS will continue to produce bigger revenue overall, but growth as a whole in the next three years will be confined to the range of 9 to 12%.
However, expansion rates for new consumer and mobile MEMS will occur at a rate of 31 to 62% from 2012 to 2014. The net effect of such rapid growth is to increase the portion held by new MEMS of total MEMS revenue. As a result, IHS predicts new MEMS in 2014 will account for 39.5% of overall revenue. Without the revenue contribution of new MEMS, IHS believes, overall growth will be stable at best.
Among new MEMS devices, 3-axis gyroscopes look set to perform strongly. Found in devices such as the iPad2 (pictured), iPhone 4 and the Move remote controller for the PlayStation 3, 3-axis gyroscopes feature prominently in applications for smart phones and gaming, with motion recognition functions benefiting greatly from the use of the new MEMS component.
