IC Insights’ IC Market Drivers—A Study of Emerging and Major End-Use Applications Fueling Demand for Integrated Circuits report features data that forecast the IC market from 2012-2017. The largest market for ICs (integrated circuits) is personal computing systems—standard PCs, tablets, and Internet/cloud-computing laptops; that category will represent 27% of IC sales in 2014, at $78 billion, according to the report. Following three years of declines, that number is expected to increase 6% in 2015 to $82 billion and again in 2016 to $88 billion. IC Insights expects personal computing system IC sales to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 2.7% through 2017.
IC sales for personal computing systems were dragged down by declines in demand for standard desktop and laptop personal computers (PCs) following the 2010 recovery. After increasing 27% in 2010, PC IC sales fell by 8%, 11%, and 8% from 2011 to 2013. This year, PC IC sales are expected to rise 3% in 2014, to $60 billion. PC IC sales are projected to fall by a CAGR of -0.4% to $62.1 billion in the final year of the forecast.
On the other hand, tablet sales have been increasing since 2011, when they reached $6.2 billion. In 2012, they increased by 73% to $11 billion, and again in 2013 by 37% to $15 billion. They are forecast to increase again in 2014 and 2015, by 20% and 10%, respectively. Between 2012 and 2017, tablet IC sales are projected to increase by a CAGR of 15% to $22 billion. Internet/cloud systems have also performed well, making $408 million in 2013 sales. They will increase by 37% to $558 million in 2014, and are expected to have a CAGR of 29% during 2012-2017—reaching $1.1 billion in 2017.
IC Insights’ report features IC industry projections by system type, region, and IC product type through 2017. It also evaluates existing and upcoming end-use applications that will support and advance the industry through 2017. These applications include the automotive market, cell phones, personal/mobile computing, wireless networks, and digital imaging.