Strategy Analytics, the global technology research company, today released, “RFMD Loses Power Amp Market Lead to Skyworks,” from the Strategy Analytics RF & Wireless Component market research service, which explores changes in the handset and cellular device power amplifier (PA) market brought about by the economic slowdown and contraction in cellphone shipments, and what this means PA to suppliers in 2009 and beyond.

The rapid growth of handsets has pushed the PA market to $2 billion per year, driving the fates of the two largest suppliers, Skyworks and RFMD, both dependent on PAs for the majority of their revenues despite diversification efforts. Both firms and their competitors have invested heavily in new PA products and technologies to meet the demands of the cellphone OEMs for ever more bands, higher data rates and lower PA prices.

Christopher Taylor, Director of the RF and Wireless Components service and author, stated, “The transition from the frenetic demand in the first half of 2008 to a severely depressed Q4 caught many PA suppliers off guard. PAs for mid-priced handsets took the brunt of the slump, and so suppliers with high share in PAs for low-cost handsets and PAs for higher-end 3G handsets fared better than suppliers with broad portfolios at all price and performance points. Both Skyworks and RFMD ended the year with close to one-third of the market, but Skyworks edged slightly ahead of RFMD.”

"Compound semiconductor-based PAs will continue as the enabling technology for the high-growth 3G and emerging 4G markets,” observed Asif Anwar, Director of the Strategy Analytics GaAs and High Speed Semiconductor service. “However, silicon-based PAs have started to gain traction in low-cost 2G handsets, as underscored by the recent acquisition of CMOS PA supplier Axiom Micro Devices by Skyworks. This acquisition should help Skyworks to maintain share in the recession-resistant low-cost segment of the market.”

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