Top 10 Semiconductor Buyers Decreased Chip Spending by 7.6% in 2022
February 6, 2023 | Gartner, Inc.Estimated reading time: 1 minute

The top 10 global original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) decreased their chip spending by 7.6% and accounted for 37.2% of the total market in 2022, according to preliminary results by Gartner, Inc. Global inflation and recession pressures sharply weakened demand for PCs and smartphones in 2022, impacting global OEMs production.
Most of the top 10 semiconductor customers are major PC and smartphone OEMs. “As a result, a sharp drop in consumer demand for PCs and smartphones prevented the top OEMs from increasing unit production and shipments,” said Masatsune Yamaji, Senior Director Analyst at Gartner.
“The zero-COVID policy in China also caused serious material shortages and short-term disruptions to the electronics supply chain. A lingering semiconductor shortage in the automotive, networking and industrial electronics markets, raised chip average selling prices (ASPs) and accelerated semiconductor revenue increases in these markets. Consequently, these factors resulted in the top OEMs decreasing their share of overall semiconductor spending in 2022 from that in 2021.”
All top ten companies in 2021 remained in 2022, with Apple and Samsung Electronics retaining the top two spots. Only Samsung Electronics and Sony increased their chip spending in 2022.
Apple remained at the top of the semiconductor spending customer ranking for the fourth year in a row. The company decreased spending on computing microprocessing units (MPUs) by 11.7% due to the continuous shift to having its own in-house-designed application processors. However, Apple increased spending on non-memory chips by 2.8%.
Samsung Electronics increased chip spending by 2.2% and retained the second position. The company gained more market share in the smartphone market due to its leadership in foldable phones, as well as benefiting from the zero-COVID policy in China, which affected its competitors, leading to an increase in spending on semiconductors in 2022.
Sony showed the fastest growth in chip spending in 2022 due to sustained global consumer interest in PlayStation 5 video game consoles. However, production volume could not be raised to meet the level of demand, due to continued serious chip shortages and disruption of logistic networks throughout the year.
Accounting for approximately 25% of semiconductor sales in 2022, memory was the worst performing device category, experiencing a 10% revenue decrease due to plummeting prices in the second half of 2022 amid tepid demand. “The top 10 OEMs accounted for 49.2% of memory spend and consequently saw a significant decline in memory spending,” said Yamaji.
Testimonial
"We’re proud to call I-Connect007 a trusted partner. Their innovative approach and industry insight made our podcast collaboration a success by connecting us with the right audience and delivering real results."
Julia McCaffrey - NCAB GroupSuggested Items
Register Now for the HATS²™ Technical Day at GEN3 HQ
08/05/2025 | GEN3GEN3 a world-leading manufacturer of testing, measurement and production solutions for electronics reliability. Headquartered in Farnborough, UK, GEN3 is announcing the final call for registrations to attend the exclusive HATS²™ Technical Day — a hands-on, live demonstration event showcasing the Highly Accelerated Thermal Shock Tester (HATS²™), the groundbreaking innovation from industry pioneer Bob Neves.
Benchmark Announces Appointment of Chuck Swoboda to Board of Directors
08/05/2025 | Benchmark Electronics Inc.Benchmark Electronics, Inc., a global provider of engineering, design, and manufacturing services, announced the appointment of Charles “Chuck” Swoboda to its Board of Directors.
Indium Corporation Promotes Two Leaders in EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa) Markets
08/05/2025 | Indium CorporationWith its commitment to innovation and growth through employee development, Indium Corporation today announced the promotions of Andy Seager to Associate Director, Continental Sales (EMEA), and Karthik Vijay to Senior Technical Manager (EMEA). These advancements reflect their contributions to the company’s continued innovative efforts with customers across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA).
Luminovo Launches U.S. Ambassador Program to Strengthen Industry Network and Drive Industry Adoption
08/05/2025 | LuminovoLuminovo, the number one quoting, procurement and collaboration software for the electronics supply chain, has launched its Ambassador Program in the United States.
Federal Electronics Marks 10th Year of ISO 13485 Certification with Successful 2025 Surveillance Audit
08/05/2025 | Federal ElectronicsFederal Electronics, a leader in providing advanced electronic manufacturing services, has successfully completed its 2025 ISO 13485:2016 surveillance audit at the company’s Cranston, Rhode Island facility.