4G Smart Device Chip Market - Forecast(2024 - 2030)

4G Smart Device Chip Market Overview

The Global 4G Smart Device Chip market size is forecast to reach $7.5 billion by 2026, growing at a CAGR of 11.3% from 2021 to 2026. Factors such as growing demands for low latency rate and faster uploading as well as downloading speeds act as the major advantages for the 4G based smart device chips. The need for increasing data bandwidth across various end-use verticals overtime along with surge of streaming high-definition video content driving the requirement towards faster internet services is eventually impacting the growth of smart device chipsets leveraging 4G technology. Advancements towards improving network address translation from service providers can also help in raising the demand for 4G smart device chip in the coming time. Growing adoption of smart or wireless devices as well as technological advances like IoT, AI and others driving the need for connected data is analysed to fuel its market growth in the long run. With the surge of COVID-19 pandemic, there is significant growth in work from home, subsequently driving the sales of Wi-Fi routers, modems and so on, to serve mobile broadband wireless access applications, which will further help the 4G Smart Device Chip market to grow at a rapid pace.

Report Coverage

Key Takeaways

• Increasing adoption of smart and wireless devices as well as technological advancements such as surge of IoT, artificial intelligence and others is analysed to significantly drive the 4G Smart Device Chip market during the forecast period 2021-2026.
• CAT4 based smart device chips market is anticipated to grow with the highest CAGR during the forecast period 2021-2026, attributing to growing demands towards high bandwidth mobile broadband services.
• APAC held the largest 4G smart device chip market share in 2020, due to high investments towards R&D activities, growing smartphone user penetration and others.

4G Smart Device Chip Market Segment Analysis- By Module Type

Based on module type, CAT 4 market is analysed to grow with the highest CAGR of 6.9% in the global 4G Smart Device Chip market during the forecast period 2021-2026. Deployment of 4G support smart device chipsets based on Cat 4 module have been gaining wide popularity across various end-use markets in order to meet increasing mobile broadband communication requirements. CAT 4 chipset modules are capable of serving environments in need of higher broadband speed and stability, including live media, commercial displays, vehicle networking, and video security with others. Factors such as growing demand for mobile broadband services majorly amidst the COVID-19 pandemic scenario have been eventually impacting the growth of 4G smart device chip market. In October 2020, Telit announced about the availability of modules designed and built in order to support Citizen Broadband Radio Service networks within U.S.A. Under this, Sequan’s Cassiopeia SQN3220SC chipset of LTE CAT 4 module, will be utilized in order to serve a broad range of application areas such as broadband consumer devices, industrial IoT & M2M devices with many more. Such factors towards optimization of devices for LTE IoT and broadband applications is set to drive the market forward in the long run.

4G Smart Device Chip Market Segment Analysis- By Cellular Technology

Based on cellular technology, the global LTE 4G Smart Device Chip market has been segmented LTE-FDD, LTE-TDD and Others. LTE-TDD technology is analyzed to account for the highest CAGR of around 5.7% in the global 4G Smart Device Chip market during the forecast period. LTE-TDD based smart device chipsets are capable of offering downlink and uplink transmission at non-overlapping time slots, eliminating the requirement of paired spectrum. In comparison to LTE-FDD, 4G smart device chipsets leveraging LTE-TDD cellular technology help in eliminating the need for duplexers for isolating transmissions or receptions, thereby making it a cheaper alternative alongside gaining it wide popularity. Moreover, LTE TDD technology helps the users to make variations within the uplink and downlink capacity ratios as per customer requirements, which acts as an added advantage. In addition, factors such as rising demands for low latency and high bandwidth requirements owing to surge in data, creates the need for solutions which can overcome challenges related to bandwidth losses. According to Global Suppliers Mobile Association, about 90 operators stated about investing in LTE TDD networks, in the report of year 2019. Such investments show the high prevalence of LTE TDD cellular networks, positively impacting the growth of 4G smart device chip market. With surge in demand of unlimited packages as well as wireless home broadband services, adoption of LTE-TDD will be accelerating further to resolve capacity and network experience issues through evolution capabilities, thus set to drive the market forward in the long run.

4G Smart Device Chip Market Segment Analysis- Geography

APAC region had accounted with the largest share of around 37% in the global 4G Smart Device Chip market in 2020,  and is also analysed to maintain a significant growth during 2021-2026. Factors such as rapid growth of IT & Telecom sector, technological advances such as adoption of IoT, AI and so on, growing penetration of smartphone users and so on can be considered as some of the major factors analyzed to drive the growth of 4G smart device chip in the Asian markets. High investments from some of the key market players such as MediaTek, HiSilicon and so on towards R&D activities, growing requirement for faster internet facilities, usage of Volte LTE networks and many more is further set to propel the need towards 4G smart device chipsets. In February 2019, Signalchip announced about the launch of India’s first semiconductor chips meant for 4G/LTE modems. This development of the chips was done to support evolving network architectures such as Open RAN/CRAN with flexible interface configurations. Moreover, growing dominance of smart devices such as smartphones, smart watches and so on along with significant deployment of LTE and LTE-advanced network architectures will be further driving the market forward in the coming years.

4G Smart Device Chip Market Drivers

Technological advancements such as IoT, AI and others:

Technological advancements such as IoT, AI and others is analysed to be one of the major driving factors impacting the growth of 4G smart device chips during the forecast period. Adoption of IoT, artificial intelligence (AI), and related advanced technologies across various end-use markets have been growing significantly overtime, which in turn drives the need for connected data through sensors, chips and so on. Leveraging 4G smart device chips with IoT, can help the end users towards eliminating the need for additional gateways while ensuring reliance on the existing communication infrastructures. In May 2021, Renesas Electronics Corporation had revealed about its launch of the first cellular IoT module with LTE Cat-M1 support. With this development, the company had revealed about this module being economical for connecting each device, particularly during installation of larger networks in need of low cost per unit. Moreover, this module will be solving issues related to designing and certification for the customers more efficiently, including RF regulatory certification, carrier certification as well as PTCRB/GCF certification for the customer’s network operator of choice. Such factors are set to further propel the need for these modules owing to rise of IoT based application areas in the long run.

Growing adoption of smart or wireless devices drives the market forward:

Growing adoption of smart or wireless devices can be considered as a major factor driving the growth of 4G smart device chip market. Increasing penetration of consumers towards smartphones, smart watches, tablets and many more have been contributing towards the need for various chipsets capable of supporting high connectivity, low-latency and high bandwidth requirements. Trends such as growing health concerns and changing lifestyles have positively impacted the widespread adoption of smart and wireless devices, demanding faster network speeds. In October 2019, Vodacom announced about the launch of a 4G smart feature phone, named Vodacom Vibe 4G. This smart device was launched as a part of helping customers offering optimum social media surfing, instant messaging along with VOLTE support within an affordable range. In addition, its Voice over Wi-Fi capability also enables users in making calls using Wi-Fi networks, utilizing both voice as well as data simultaneously. Such advancements towards 4G smart devices requires the need for incorporating various chipset modules in order to provide network optimization and connectivity services, thus gaining it wide popularity across the businesses dealing with manufacturing smart wireless devices.

4G Smart Device Chip Market Challenges

High Costs:

High costs associated with 4G technology act as a major factor restraining the growth of 4G Smart Device Chip market. Leveraging 4G technology creates additional costs for the network providers in order to optimize bandwidth, efficiency and signalling ratio while data transfer or retrieval. Manufacturing complexities related to designing chips combining features like low latency, less power consumption and so on eventually creates the requirement of skilled expertise, thus raising operational costs. Moreover, with the advent of 5G technology overtime, 4G technology is slowing turning obsolete to sustain in the end-use markets, thus affecting its market demands. Owing to high capital investments towards developing 4G chips for smart devices is getting significantly affected, thereby creating lesser adoptability across small & mid-size industries.

4G Smart Device Chip Market Landscape

Product launches, acquisitions, and R&D activities are key strategies adopted by players in the 4G Smart Device Chip market. The top 10 companies in the 4G Smart Device Chip market include MediaTek Inc., Qualcomm, HiSilicon, Marvell Technology Inc., Intel Corporation, UNISOC (Spreadtrum Communications Inc.), Sequans Communications, Renesas Electronics, Xilinx Inc. and Leadcore Technology among others.

Acquisitions/Technology Launches/Partnerships

• In September 2020, MediaTek announced about the launch of a powerful smartphone gaming focused chip, named Helio G95, as an addition to its Helio G series. Development of this chip was done to offer gaming enthusiasts with faster performance and high-end features be it enabling HDR10 standard display.
• In October 2019, HiSilicon announced about the release of 4G communication IoT chip, based on LTE Cat4 platform, named Balong 711. This includes three chipsets, namely Hi2152, Hi6361 as well as Hi6559, designed for serving application areas ranging from industrial routing, retail, internet of vehicles and so on.

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