Samsung Overtook Intel As Top Chip Seller In 2021 Thanks To Automotive, Smartphones

The global semiconductor revenue reached $595 billion in 2021, up 26.3% year-on-year, Gartner reports.
Samsung Electronics Co Ltd's SSNLF chip business grew 28% Y/Y, while Intel Corp INTC lost 0.3% Y/Y.
Now, Samsung tops the list with $73.2 billion in revenue and a 12.3% market share, while Intel with $72.5 billion in revenue and a 12.2% share.
Within the top 10, Advanced Micro Devices Inc AMD and MediaTek Inc MDTKF posted the most robust growth in 2021. AMD grew 68.6% Y/Y, and Mediatek rose 60.2% Y/Y.
The semiconductor chip crisis continues to bite original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), offset by the 5G smartphone ramp up, strong demand, and logistics/raw material price increases that drove semiconductor average selling prices (ASPs) higher.
The year 2021 saw strong demand return to the automotive and industrial markets compared to the weak, COVID-disrupted market in 2020.
The automotive market outperformed all other end markets, growing 34.9% Y/Y in 2021.
Wireless communications, dominated by smartphones, grew 24.6% Y/Y.
Driven by DRAM, memory accounted for 27.9% of semiconductor sales in 2021 and posted 33.2% revenue growth Y/Y.
Price Action: INTC shares traded lower by 2.65% at $45.77 on the last check Thursday.