December 16, 2008: The success of Apple Inc.’s iPhone is spurring competitors to offer products with comparable features, fueling a sales boom for MEMS accelerometers used to detect motion in smart phones, according to the market research firm iSuppli Corp.

“Apple’s visionary use of MEMS accelerometers that support the automatic switch from landscape to portrait view on the iPhone display has prompted a flood of competitors to follow suit,” said Jérémie Bouchaud, principal analyst for MEMS at iSuppli, in a news release.

“Mobile handset makers now are adopting accelerometers for this purpose and for other human-interface or power-savings applications, causing sales growth of MEMS for this application to exceed all expectations.”

By the end of 2008, 10% of the 1.29 billion mobile devices shipped worldwide will include MEMS accelerometers, up from 2% at the end of 2007, Bouchaud said. This will help the global MEMS accelerometer market for mobile phones and other consumer electronics to grow to 900 million units in 2012, up from 65 million in 2007.

Bouchaud also said that video game console controllers represent another bright spot for MEMS gyroscopes and accelerometers, with their revenue growing at a compound annual growth rate of 11% to reach $240 million in 2012, up from $28M in 2006, due to their adoption in well-known platforms like the Nintendo Wii and the Sony PlayStation 3. Microsoft also is heavily promoting MEMS accelerometer-based accessories for the holidays, like Guitar Hero and Lips.