57.7% increase in shipments for mems mics in 2010

The market research firm forecasts that global mems microphone shipments are set to expand to 695.5million units this year, up 57.7% from 441m in 2009. By 2014, iSuppli says shipments will rise to 1.7billion units, four times the total for 2009. The analyst cites the success of Apple's iPhone 4, which employs two separate mems microphones, as the main driver. The technique reduces background sounds to improve the clarity of voice communications. According to iSuppli, the majority of smart phones by 2014 will use two or more MEMS microphones. Jérémie Bouchaud, director and principal analyst, MEMS, for iSuppli, said: "Although Apple previously used mems microphones in the fifth generation iPod nano released in 2009, the company exclusively had been employing ecm technology in the iPhone line. With this move, Apple in 2010 will become the world's second largest buyer of mems microphones, behind Samsung Electronics. Apple was the sixth largest buyer in 2009." Bouchaud added that in 2010, the mobile handset market is the largest consumer of mems mics, ahead of notebook pcs. "Headsets will form the third largest user of mems microphones, due to their use by Apple," he noted. "By 2014, mobile handsets and notebook pcs will still be the largest application for mems microphones, followed by slate type tablets, such as Apple's iPad."