The Uncertain Future Of Fabless Semis

Ann Steffora Mutschler, Semiconductor Engineering
January 30th, 2014

Some industry watchers believe there is a shift to system OEMs calling more of the shots while fabless semiconductor companies are taking a back seat to decision making. If true, what does this mean?

As with most things, perspective is everything, this is especially true when it comes to changes in the semiconductor ecosystem. Some industry watchers say indicators clearly point to a shift happening where system OEMs again make the decisions about what is in a chip, both software and hardware, pointing to Apple, Samsung, Microsoft and Intel as prime examples. As a result, the fabless semiconductor companies are taking a back seat to what goes into an SoC. If this is true, what does this mean from a technology and ecosystem perspective?