Mobile PCs and Smartphones to Be Top Revenue Opportunities for IC Suppliers:

Mobile PCs and smartphones will represent the top revenue opportunities for high-speed wireless integrated circuit (IC) suppliers by 2018, as these devices are projected to be the highest-volume applications in this market over the next five years, according to a new report from IHS Technology.

Between 2013 and 2018, more than 400 million high-speed wireless ICs are projected to ship cumulatively into the mobile PC market, generating global revenue of $2.5 billion, according to the IHS report.

During the same period, more than 80 million high-speed wireless ICs are projected to ship cumulatively into the smartphone market, with worldwide revenue forecast to exceed $260 million in 2018.

IHS defines a high-speed wireless-enabled device as one that includes at least one of the following technologies: WirelessHD, WHDI, 802.11ad (WiGig) or multi-stream Wi-Fi (802.11n 3x3 higher or 802.11ac 2x2 and higher).

Wireless Devices Shipments to Surge, Thanks to Multistream Wi-Fi, WiGig and Similar Technologies:

The global market for high-speed wireless-enabled devices is set for explosive growth within the next five years as more consumer electronics products take advantage of rapid wireless transfer capabilities, according to a new report from IHS.

Annual shipments of high-speed wireless-enabled devices such as smartphones, televisions and mobile PCs are expected to reach 503 million devices by 2018, up more than tenfold from 49 million units anticipated in 2013. Growth during the next three years will be tremendous, ranging from 60 to 120 percent, with expansion during the last two years of the forecast window moderating somewhat to still-high increases of up to 30 percent, as shown in the attached figure.

A high-speed wireless-enabled device, as defined by IHS, is one that includes at least one of the following technologies: WirelessHD, WHDI, 802.11ad (WiGig) or multi-stream Wi-Fi (802.11n 3x3 higher or 802.11ac 2x2 and higher). These technologies, in turn, are known for featuring wireless speeds several times faster than that of 802.11n and earlier, which offer velocities anywhere between 72 megabits per second (mbps) to 530 mbps typical of Wi-Fi.

"Much of the anticipated growth in the high-speed wireless industry will be attributed to the increase of both WiGig and multistream Wi-Fi in mobile and home entertainment applications by the end of the forecast period," said Stephanie Gibbons, senior analyst for connectivity at IHS. "In particular, WiGig and multistream Wi-Fi are the two technologies set to drive high-speed wireless adoption into key consumer electronics applications."