联发科的好运气能否持续到2013？

在大多数手机芯片供货商遭遇客户群流失与市占率缩水的同时，台湾手机芯片设计业者联发科(MediaTek)却表现亮眼，并指出该公司 2012年智能手机芯片出货量将成长十倍。 在 2011年，联发科在智能手机芯片市场的存在感仍然很低，但自那时候起，Android手机/应用程序迅速发展，中国移动(China Mobile)的TD-SCDMA网络布建扩大，以及消费者的强烈需求，使得全球掀起智能手机热潮。 此外三星(Samsung)的Galaxy S3与苹果(Apple)的 iPhone系列产品大获成功，也激励中国的功能手机开发商力争上游，转向入门级智能手机市场发展。联发科正是搭上了这波热潮，协助那些中国功能手机供货商进军智能手机市场。 联发科的“一站式(turnkey)”解决方案号称能确保手机硬件与软件顺利运作，为几乎没有开发Android平台智能手机产品经验的中国手机业者扫除了障碍。

缔造过山寨机神话，在智能机的起步上也理所当然地选择了低端产品，所谓“千元智能机”中很多都是采用MTK方案
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值得注意的是，联发科在 2011年初还苦苦追赶包括上海展讯通信(Spreadtrum)、同样来自台湾的晨星(Mstar)等竞争对手，后两家公司在中国低阶手机用芯片市场以削价竞争打击联发科。但在 2012年，联发科因为比对手更积极掌握智能手机商机而扭转了局势；年中，联发科宣布与晨星达成合并协议。 本文授权编译自EE Times，版权所有，谢绝转载 第2页：2012年入门级智能手机市场的定义者 第3页：联发科能否进军高阶智能手机市场？

相关阅读：
• 联发科MT6589获Sony及Motorola订单，Q1供货
• 联发科技任命Johan Lodenius为副总经理兼首席营销官
• MTK发布“最酷四核”MT6589，实现性能与功耗完美平衡RM2esmc

{pagination} 据统计，联发科在 2011年售出5.5亿颗功能手机芯片，但该数字在 2012年减为4亿，同时间该公司智能手机芯片出货量由 2011年的1,000万颗，增加为1.1亿颗。 包括ST-Ericsson、Marvell等手机芯片大厂，通常是仰赖少数几家大型手机厂客户；但包括诺基亚(Nokia)、RIM (Research In Motion)等品牌在智能手机割喉战场上却步履蹒跚，也拖累了他们的手机芯片供货商。

MTK从功能机过度到低端智能机，离不开手机厂商的合作
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联发科很幸运地在功能型手机市场上有众多忠实顾客，而由于该公司锁定从低阶到高阶智能手机市场，也一起将其广大功能型手机供货商客户群带入该领域。“那些 手机供货商知道该怎么跟我们合作；”联发科业务发展总经理Finbarr Moynihan表示，2012年的智能手机热潮定义了联发科，在此同时：“我们也正定义该市场。” 确实，联发科可说是2012年入门级智能手机市场的定义者，但随着展讯与其它竞争对手开始在 2013年急起直追，联发科是否能继续保持领先者地位，还有待观察。 本文授权编译自EE Times，版权所有，谢绝转载 第3页：联发科能否进军高阶智能手机市场？

相关阅读：
• 联发科MT6589获Sony及Motorola订单，Q1供货
• 联发科技任命Johan Lodenius为副总经理兼首席营销官
• MTK发布“最酷四核”MT6589，实现性能与功耗完美平衡RM2esmc

{pagination} 联发科能否进军高阶智能手机市场？ 联发科目前的市场焦点还是在入门级智能手机(即190美元以下机种)，这也是成长最快速的产品；根据市场研究机构Strategy Analytics预测，到2017年，入门级智能手机市场规模将达到5.8亿支，期间复合平均年成长率为30%。 在巩固其市场地位的同时，联发科也期望能在 2013年进军高阶、甚至顶级智能手机市场；而联发科能否于 2013年在高阶智能手机市场与高通(Qualcomm)面对面竞争？针对以上问题，Linley Group首席分析师Linley Gwennap保持怀疑态度。 联发科时常提及，该公司采用ARM Cortext A7的4核心应用处理器/调制解调器单芯片(MT6589)已经可提供样品、即将出货，但高通已经在 2012年9月发表类似的4核心芯片MSM8225Q，采用Cortex-A5核心，整合了UMTS调制解调器。 高通的MSM8225Q芯片并非是采用Cortext A7的4核心方案，但该公司的第一代4核心应用处理器/调制解调器单芯片将在 2013年第一季量产；Gwennap表示，这意味着高通：“在该市场并没有落后联发科很多。” Gwennap补充指出，联发科：“有机会将MT6589推进高阶智能手机市场，但该方案的CPU与绘图处理性能，还比不上真正的高阶智能手机芯片处理器如APQ8064或Exynos 5250。” 此外Gwennap也表示，联发科方案缺乏对LTE的支持。事实上，根据Moynihan说法，联发科的LTE芯片将到 2013年底才问世，不过他也提到，该公司的策略是要利用在 2010年由NTT Docomo所授权的LTE技术。 而 虽然包括瑞萨通信技术(Renesas Mobile)、ST-Ericsson都致力于改善其LTE调制解调器芯片，但LTE市场的发展速度一直十分缓慢。最快在 2013下半年，LTE市场就会成为手机芯片业者胜负立现的战场；而ST-Ericsson与瑞萨的状况扮演关键角色。 若要赶上竞争对手高通与三星(Samsung)的脚步，联发科在 2013年可得加把劲了！ 本文授权编译自EE Times，版权所有，谢绝转载 编译：Judith Cheng 参考英文原文：Yoshida in China: Will MediaTek’s luck hold in 2013?，by Junko Yoshida

相关阅读：
• 联发科MT6589获Sony及Motorola订单，Q1供货
• 联发科技任命Johan Lodenius为副总经理兼首席营销官
• MTK发布“最酷四核”MT6589，实现性能与功耗完美平衡RM2esmc

{pagination} Yoshida in China: Will MediaTek’s luck hold in 2013? Junko Yoshida While most mobile chip vendors saw their customer base shrink in 2012, MediaTek is talking about a ten-fold increase in its smartphone chip shipments. NEW YORK – In a year when most mobile chip vendors have seen a dramatic reduction of their customer base or declining market share, Taiwan-based MediaTek is sitting pretty and talking about a ten-fold increase in its smartphone chip shipments in 2012. The Taiwanese company had only a small presence in the smartphone market during 2011. Since then, the spread of Android apps and Android phones, China Mobile’s growing TD-SCDMA footprint and the insatiable appetite for smartphones among consumers have contributed to a global smartphone surge. The phenomenal success of Samsung’s Galaxy S3 and Apple’s iPhones have also inspired feature phone developers in China to move upstream and migrate into the entry-level smartphone market. MediaTek has been riding the wave, bringing China’s feature phone vendors into the smartphone market. MediaTek's "turnkey" solution, that is touted as ensuring both hardware and software work smoothly, has cleared the way for Chinese handset makers with virtually no smartphone experience to develop Android products. It’s important to note that in early 2011 MediaTek trailed rivals like Spreadtrum of Shanghai and Taiwan’s Mstar. Both companies were undercutting MediaTek on pricing of chips that go inside China’s low-end mobile phones. This year, MediaTek has turned the tables by seizing the smartphone opportunity more aggressively than its rivals. In parallel, MediaTek also pursued a merger agreement with MStar over the summer. In 2011, MediaTek sold 550 million feature phone chips, but shipped only 400 million units this year. It has increased smartphone chip shipments from 10 million units in 2011 to 110 million units this year. Leading mobile chip vendors like ST-Ericsson or Marvell traditionally depend on fewer large handset OEMs. But as mobile phone vendors like Nokia and Research In Motion faltered in a cut-throat smartphone market, so did their chip suppliers. MediaTek was fortunate to have many established customers in the feature phone market. As it pursued the low- to entry-level smartphone market, it brought that large base of feature phone companies along. "These vendors know how to work with us," said Finbarr Moynihan, MediaTek’s general manager for business development. Just as much as the smartphone trend in 2012 defined MediaTek, Moynihan likes to say, "We are defining it." Sure, MediaTek may have defined the entry-level smartphone market in 2012. But when Spreadtrum and others start catching up in 2013, just how long MediaTek can stay in the driver’s seat remains unclear. High-end smartphones MediaTek’s current focus is still on entry-level smartphones (defined as under $190), the fastest growing market. Strategy Analytics forecasts that the segment will grow to 580 million units in 2017, with a compound annual growth rate of 30 percent. While defending its position, MediaTek also hopes to move into the high- to premium-level smartphone market in 2013, which raises the question: Will MediaTek be able to go toe-to-toe with Qualcomm in 2013 in the high-end smartphone market? Linley Gwennap, principal analyst at the Linley Group, is skeptical. MediaTek likes to say that its upcoming quad-core apps processor/modem SoC based on ARM Cortext A7 is already sampling. But Qualcomm announced the MSM8225Q, a similar quad-core device but based on Cortex-A5, in September. Qualcomm's chip is integrated with a UMTS modem. It’s not a Cortex A7-based quad-core, but Qualcomm’s first-generation quad-core apps processor/modem chip will enter production in the first quarter of 2013. As Gwennap says, this puts Qualcomm “not that far behind MediaTek in reaching the market.” The analyst added that MediaTek is “being a bit optimistic in positioning the MT6589 for high-end smartphones. It won't match the CPU or graphics performance of true high-end processors such as APQ8064 or Exynos 5250." MediaTek also lacks LTE, Gwennap noted. In fact, LTE products won't arrive until the end of 2013, according to Moynihan. But Moynihan reminded that the company's strategy is to leverage LTE technology it licensed from NTT Docomo in 2010. Despite efforts by companies like Renesas Mobile and ST-Ericsson to perfect their LTE modems, the LTE market has been slow to take off. Beginning as soon as the second half of 2013, LTE could become a battleground where the winners and losers among mobile chip vendors will be found. This, of course, depends on the status of ST-Ericsson and Renesas Mobile. Meantime, MediaTek will have to hustle in 2013 to keep pace with Qaulcomm and Samsung.