Manufacturers Spend More on Chips for Wireless Devices than for PC Chips

DigiTimes: Researchers from IHS report that the wireless industry spent more on semiconductors in 2011 than PC manufacturers did. Mobile device makers spent $58.6 billion on chips during the year, a 14.5 percent increase from 2010. By comparison, PC makers spent $53.7 billion on chips, a 4 percent year-over-year increase.

IHS predicts that this marks the beginning of a huge shift in the semiconductor industry. They forecast that wireless semiconductor spending could hit $72.9 billion by 2013, while PC maker spending remains flat at $53.4 billion.