Qualcomm Tops ABI Research GPS IC Vendor Matrix Ranking

Qualcomm Inc. has been ranked at the top of the latest Vendor Matrix released by ABI Research. Broadcom Corp. and Cambridge Silicon Radio (CSR) claimed the second and third spots in the company’s most recent evaluation of worldwide GPS IC vendors.

“The sheer scale of Qualcomm’s embedded GPS shipments powered it to number one in the matrix. However it would be wrong to underestimate its efforts on Glonass and alternative/hybrid location," comments Senior analyst Patrick Connolly. “There is very little to separate Broadcom and CSR: Broadcom offers a wide range of IC implementations, design innovations and major contract wins across a number of different vertical markets. CSR continues to drive innovation in terms of optimizing GPS IC performance to meet growing demand in emerging markets, while continuing to generate significant revenue from established markets. This is reflected in CSR’s recent Samsung Galaxy S II design win.”

For this particular matrix, under "innovation," ABI Research examined the vendors’ support for multiple design approaches and technologies including multiple RF integration (combo-chips), Embedded GPS IC solutions and support for other GNSS constellations, such as Glonass.

Analysts also evaluated vendors’ wireless assistance data support (A-GPS), alternative positioning technology support, sensor support and satellite-based augmentation system support (SBAS). The matrix also considers innovation in size, power consumption and recent product introductions.

ABI Research