Bluetooth shipments broke an annual two billion shipments in 2012 and are set to surpass three billion shipped during 2015 and four billion during 2018, according to ABI Research (www.abiresearch.com).
“Cumulatively, over 19 billion chipsets will ship over the next five years,” says research director Philip Solis. “Of various integration levels, standalone Bluetooth chipsets will be the largest group in 2019 followed by combo chipsets with Bluetooth and then integrated platforms with Bluetooth.”
The market for Bluetooth chipsets has evolved greatly over the past decade, expanding from phones and headsets to a multitude of personal devices, accessories, and home automation devices. Of the 10 different combo chipset combinations ABI Research forecasts that include Bluetooth,
“Bluetooth + Wi-Fi + FM” chipsets will be the highest shipping combo type in 2014 as well as 2019. In 2014 this combo type will have a larger share compared to 2019 as other combo types ramp up over the next five years, according to ABI Research.
“Bluetooth Smart Ready will have the majority of shipments over the next five years compared to Bluetooth Smart and Bluetooth Classic,” says Solis. “During that time, Bluetooth Smart Ready will experience steady growth, while Bluetooth Smart will grow rapidly, with Bluetooth ‘Classic’ fading away. Broadcom, CSR, TI, Qualcomm Atheros, MediaTek, and others are well positioned to capitalize on this growth.
