infoTECH Feature

February 04, 2011

Tablets Are Fastest-Growing Market for MEMS, says iSuppli

Micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) accelerometers and gyroscopes play a key role in tablets, utilized not only for automatic screen rotation and tilt compensation for the compass but also for motion-based user interfaces. MEMS filters such as bulk acoustic wave duplexers are also used in 3G tablets, and pressure sensors and MEMS microphones likewise will join the fray in 2011, according to IHS iSuppli’s principal analyst for MEMS and sensors Jérémie Bouchaud. “All this will result in the expansion of MEMS sales in tablets and help drive the growth of the overall market for MEMS consumer electronics devices and mobile devices,” stated Bouchaud.

In a company statement, Bouchaud commented, “With their focus on providing compelling user interfaces, tablets are emerging as a major growth area for MEMS.”

With rapid demand for Apple’s iPad and Android (News - Alert)-based alternatives, media tablets in 2011 are expected to be the fastest-growing market for MEMS in the consumer electronics and mobile segment, predicts IHS (News - Alert) iSuppli’s latest study. Consequently, the market watcher is forecasting rising use of MEMS in tablets this year. As a result, sales of MEMS in tablets will soar to $140.4 million this year, up 373 percent from a mere $29.7 million in 2010. By 2014, tablets will become the second-largest application for MEMS sensors in the consumer and mobile space after cell phones, with revenue of $280 million, projects IHS iSuppli.

The consumer electronics and mobile market for MEMS in 2011 will grow by more than 25 percent. This will nearly equal the growth rate of 2010, when the industry recovered robustly following the economic crisis of 2009, says the research firm.

.As reported by IHS iSuppli, revenue in 2011 for MEMS sensors and actuators used in various consumer and mobile devices—including cell phones and tablets—will reach $2.07 billion, up 26.2 percent from $1.64 billion last year. The five-year market prospects call for growth by a factor of nearly three to $3.71 billion in 2014, up from $1.13 billion in 2009, translating into a solid compound annual growth rate of 23.6 percent during the time period, according to IHS iSuppli.


Ashok Bindra is a veteran writer and editor with more than 25 years of editorial experience covering RF/wireless technologies, semiconductors and power electronics. To read more of his articles, please visit his columnist page.

Edited by Jennifer Russell
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