在大多數(shù)手機(jī)芯片供貨商遭遇客戶群流失與市占率縮水的同時，臺灣手機(jī)芯片設(shè)計(jì)業(yè)者聯(lián)發(fā)科(MediaTek)卻表現(xiàn)亮眼，并指出該公司 2012年智能手機(jī)芯片出貨量將成長十倍。 在 2011年，聯(lián)發(fā)科在智能手機(jī)芯片市場的存在感仍然很低，但自那時候起，Android手機(jī)/應(yīng)用程序迅速發(fā)展，中國移動(China Mobile)的TD-SCDMA網(wǎng)絡(luò)布建擴(kuò)大，以及消費(fèi)者的強(qiáng)烈需求，使得全球掀起智能手機(jī)熱潮。 此外三星(Samsung)的Galaxy S3與蘋果(Apple)的 iPhone系列產(chǎn)品大獲成功，也激勵中國的功能手機(jī)開發(fā)商力爭上游，轉(zhuǎn)向入門級智能手機(jī)市場發(fā)展。聯(lián)發(fā)科正是搭上了這波熱潮，協(xié)助那些中國功能手機(jī)供貨商進(jìn)軍智能手機(jī)市場。 聯(lián)發(fā)科的“一站式(turnkey)”解決方案號稱能確保手機(jī)硬件與軟件順利運(yùn)作，為幾乎沒有開發(fā)Android平臺智能手機(jī)產(chǎn)品經(jīng)驗(yàn)的中國手機(jī)業(yè)者掃除了障礙。

締造過山寨機(jī)神話，在智能機(jī)的起步上也理所當(dāng)然地選擇了低端產(chǎn)品，所謂“千元智能機(jī)”中很多都是采用MTK方案
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值得注意的是，聯(lián)發(fā)科在 2011年初還苦苦追趕包括上海展訊通信(Spreadtrum)、同樣來自臺灣的晨星(Mstar)等競爭對手，后兩家公司在中國低階手機(jī)用芯片市場以削價競爭打擊聯(lián)發(fā)科。但在 2012年，聯(lián)發(fā)科因?yàn)楸葘κ指e極掌握智能手機(jī)商機(jī)而扭轉(zhuǎn)了局勢；年中，聯(lián)發(fā)科宣布與晨星達(dá)成合并協(xié)議。 本文授權(quán)編譯自EE Times，版權(quán)所有，謝絕轉(zhuǎn)載 第2頁：2012年入門級智能手機(jī)市場的定義者 第3頁：聯(lián)發(fā)科能否進(jìn)軍高階智能手機(jī)市場？

相關(guān)閱讀：
• 聯(lián)發(fā)科MT6589獲Sony及Motorola訂單，Q1供貨
• 聯(lián)發(fā)科技任命Johan Lodenius為副總經(jīng)理兼首席營銷官
• MTK發(fā)布“最酷四核”MT6589，實(shí)現(xiàn)性能與功耗完美平衡ZALesmc

{pagination} 據(jù)統(tǒng)計(jì)，聯(lián)發(fā)科在 2011年售出5.5億顆功能手機(jī)芯片，但該數(shù)字在 2012年減為4億，同時間該公司智能手機(jī)芯片出貨量由 2011年的1,000萬顆，增加為1.1億顆。 包括ST-Ericsson、Marvell等手機(jī)芯片大廠，通常是仰賴少數(shù)幾家大型手機(jī)廠客戶；但包括諾基亞(Nokia)、RIM (Research In Motion)等品牌在智能手機(jī)割喉戰(zhàn)場上卻步履蹣跚，也拖累了他們的手機(jī)芯片供貨商。

MTK從功能機(jī)過度到低端智能機(jī)，離不開手機(jī)廠商的合作
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聯(lián)發(fā)科很幸運(yùn)地在功能型手機(jī)市場上有眾多忠實(shí)顧客，而由于該公司鎖定從低階到高階智能手機(jī)市場，也一起將其廣大功能型手機(jī)供貨商客戶群帶入該領(lǐng)域。“那些 手機(jī)供貨商知道該怎么跟我們合作；”聯(lián)發(fā)科業(yè)務(wù)發(fā)展總經(jīng)理Finbarr Moynihan表示，2012年的智能手機(jī)熱潮定義了聯(lián)發(fā)科，在此同時：“我們也正定義該市場?！? 確實(shí)，聯(lián)發(fā)科可說是2012年入門級智能手機(jī)市場的定義者，但隨著展訊與其它競爭對手開始在 2013年急起直追，聯(lián)發(fā)科是否能繼續(xù)保持領(lǐng)先者地位，還有待觀察。 本文授權(quán)編譯自EE Times，版權(quán)所有，謝絕轉(zhuǎn)載 第3頁：聯(lián)發(fā)科能否進(jìn)軍高階智能手機(jī)市場？

相關(guān)閱讀：
• 聯(lián)發(fā)科MT6589獲Sony及Motorola訂單，Q1供貨
• 聯(lián)發(fā)科技任命Johan Lodenius為副總經(jīng)理兼首席營銷官
• MTK發(fā)布“最酷四核”MT6589，實(shí)現(xiàn)性能與功耗完美平衡ZALesmc

{pagination} 聯(lián)發(fā)科能否進(jìn)軍高階智能手機(jī)市場？ 聯(lián)發(fā)科目前的市場焦點(diǎn)還是在入門級智能手機(jī)(即190美元以下機(jī)種)，這也是成長最快速的產(chǎn)品；根據(jù)市場研究機(jī)構(gòu)Strategy Analytics預(yù)測，到2017年，入門級智能手機(jī)市場規(guī)模將達(dá)到5.8億支，期間復(fù)合平均年成長率為30%。 在鞏固其市場地位的同時，聯(lián)發(fā)科也期望能在 2013年進(jìn)軍高階、甚至頂級智能手機(jī)市場；而聯(lián)發(fā)科能否于 2013年在高階智能手機(jī)市場與高通(Qualcomm)面對面競爭？針對以上問題，Linley Group首席分析師Linley Gwennap保持懷疑態(tài)度。 聯(lián)發(fā)科時常提及，該公司采用ARM Cortext A7的4核心應(yīng)用處理器/調(diào)制解調(diào)器單芯片(MT6589)已經(jīng)可提供樣品、即將出貨，但高通已經(jīng)在 2012年9月發(fā)表類似的4核心芯片MSM8225Q，采用Cortex-A5核心，整合了UMTS調(diào)制解調(diào)器。 高通的MSM8225Q芯片并非是采用Cortext A7的4核心方案，但該公司的第一代4核心應(yīng)用處理器/調(diào)制解調(diào)器單芯片將在 2013年第一季量產(chǎn)；Gwennap表示，這意味著高通：“在該市場并沒有落后聯(lián)發(fā)科很多?！? Gwennap補(bǔ)充指出，聯(lián)發(fā)科：“有機(jī)會將MT6589推進(jìn)高階智能手機(jī)市場，但該方案的CPU與繪圖處理性能，還比不上真正的高階智能手機(jī)芯片處理器如APQ8064或Exynos 5250?！? 此外Gwennap也表示，聯(lián)發(fā)科方案缺乏對LTE的支持。事實(shí)上，根據(jù)Moynihan說法，聯(lián)發(fā)科的LTE芯片將到 2013年底才問世，不過他也提到，該公司的策略是要利用在 2010年由NTT Docomo所授權(quán)的LTE技術(shù)。 而 雖然包括瑞薩通信技術(shù)(Renesas Mobile)、ST-Ericsson都致力于改善其LTE調(diào)制解調(diào)器芯片，但LTE市場的發(fā)展速度一直十分緩慢。最快在 2013下半年，LTE市場就會成為手機(jī)芯片業(yè)者勝負(fù)立現(xiàn)的戰(zhàn)場；而ST-Ericsson與瑞薩的狀況扮演關(guān)鍵角色。 若要趕上競爭對手高通與三星(Samsung)的腳步，聯(lián)發(fā)科在 2013年可得加把勁了！ 本文授權(quán)編譯自EE Times，版權(quán)所有，謝絕轉(zhuǎn)載 編譯：Judith Cheng 參考英文原文：Yoshida in China: Will MediaTek’s luck hold in 2013?，by Junko Yoshida

相關(guān)閱讀：
• 聯(lián)發(fā)科MT6589獲Sony及Motorola訂單，Q1供貨
• 聯(lián)發(fā)科技任命Johan Lodenius為副總經(jīng)理兼首席營銷官
• MTK發(fā)布“最酷四核”MT6589，實(shí)現(xiàn)性能與功耗完美平衡ZALesmc

{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.