Wi-Fi IC Shipments Grow 28 Percent

In 2009, worldwide shipments of Wi-Fi integrated circuits (ICs) increased approximately 28 percent compared to 2008, according to a new report from ABI Research entitled “Wi-Fi IC Market Share Analysis and Forecasts."

“The demand for Wi-Fi ICs in mobile devices and consumer electronic devices are the two key engines for Wi-Fi IC’s market growth,” said ABI analyst Celia Bo, in a statement.

Wi-Fi IC placement in mobile handsets grew by more than 50 percent in 2009, and Wi-Fi-enabled handsets will account for 40 percent of the total of handsets shipped in 2014. Beyond the already established segments, portable media players with Wi-Fi have also seen strong growth, which will continue through 2014.

More and more consumer electronic devices, such as digital still cameras, digital camcorders, TVs, DVD players and set-top boxes are adopting Wi-Fi. The total shipments of Wi-Fi-enabled consumer electronic devices increased 33 percent in 2009 compared to 2008. The products with fastest-growing attach rates are digital camcorders, TVs and set-top boxes.

“The most significant variation in Wi-Fi enabled products is the protocol type of the embedded Wi-Fi,” said ABI practice director Philip Solis, in a statement.

“802.11g has had the highest attach rate over the past few years, accounting for 50 percent of total Wi-Fi IC shipments in 2009. But 802.11n revenue surpassed that of 802.11g in 2009 as a result of higher ASPs; and 802.11n shipments will surge ahead of 802.11g starting this year,” said Solis.