October 11, 2011 — With navigation features becoming standard in smartphones, tablets, and gaming devices, the market for electronic compasses is set to grow 73% this year to $419.1 million, according to a new IHS iSuppli MEMS & Sensors special report on magnetic sensors.
The 73% growth in 2011 is on top of an "explosive" 186% rise last year. By 2015, revenue will reach $842.2 million, IHS reports, growing more than 3x over 2010 numbers.
Electronic compasses are a "natural" complement to GPS navigation, adding intuitive features for the user, like map rotation and camera-based point-of-interest information, said Jérémie Bouchaud, principal analyst, MEMS & Sensors for IHS. Advanced applications use 9-axis sensor fusion, connecting the compass with a device’s accelerometer and gyroscope to reduce inaccuracies in each sensor. Bouchard notes that electronic compasses have become a "standard feature" in smartphones thanks to Apple’s electronic compass integration in the iPhone 3GS.
Electronic compasses also benefit from gaming device integration, such as the Sony Move controller for the PlayStation 3. The next-generation Nintendo Wii controller will feature 3 sensors.
Military applications include single-axis discrete compasses for high-performance navigation. This is a small — <100,000 units — but lucrative — each unit sells for several hundred dollars — market. The total market is worth about $24 million.
The top electronic compass producer is Japan’s AKM Semiconductor Inc., followed by Aichi Steel, Yamaha Corp. and Alps Electric Co. Ltd., all Japanese. (Click here for info on electronic compass producers following the March 11 Japan earthquake.) European STMicroelectronics is also in the top 5. In the US, Memsic Inc., Honeywell International Inc. and Freescale Semiconductor Inc., are top players. Also watch South Korea’s Amotech and Spanish startup Baolab Microsystems.
Access the IHS iSuppli report, Digital Compasses Pick Up Reins of Magnetic Sensor Market, at http://www.isuppli.com/MEMS-and-Sensors/Pages/Digital-Compasses-Pick-up-Reins-of-Magnetic-Sensors-Market.aspx?PRX