Samsung beats Intel to claim semiconductor revenue throne in 2021
Samsung earned the top spot among semiconductor vendors in 2021.
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What you need to know
Semiconductor revenue grew significantly in 2021, according to final figures fromGartner. Total revenue reached 594,952 million in the year, which was an increase of 26% year-over-year. The top-ten semiconductor vendors are familiar names in the industry, but it’s notable that Samsung Electronics earned the top spot over Intel in terms of market share.
This was the first time that Samsung ranked above Intel since 2018. Samsung’s revenue increased 28% year-over-year, while Intel saw a decline of 0.3%. SK Hynix trailed Intel by a large margin in terms of market share but saw a massive growth of 40.6% in revenue in 2021.
Gartnerreported preliminary figuresback in January for the semiconductor industry. The firm has since completed its tallies to form final results. The overall rankings are the same, and the numbers are similar, but Gartner’s final results show a higher revenue figure than its preliminary findings.
HiSilicon fell out of the top ten altogether. The company’s revenue declined 81% compared to the previous year, from $8.2 billion to $1.5 billion. That drop was due in large part to sanctions placed by the U.S. government against Huawei, the parent company of HiSilicon.
DRAM accounted for 27.9% of the sales in 2021 and saw a 33.2% revenue increase in the period. The automotive and industrial markets also saw significant revenue growth.
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Sean Endicott is a tech journalist at Windows Central, specializing in Windows, Microsoft software, AI, and PCs. He’s covered major launches, from Windows 10 and 11 to the rise of AI tools like ChatGPT. Sean’s journey began with the Lumia 740, leading to strong ties with app developers. Outside writing, he coaches American football, utilizing Microsoft services to manage his team. He studied broadcast journalism at Nottingham Trent University and is active on X @SeanEndicott_ and Threads @sean_endicott_.
