Technology, Process and Cost
Consumer eCompass Comparison 2021
By Yole SystemPlus —
Physical and cost comparison of 3-axis and 6-axis eCompasses from AKM, MEMSIC, ALPS Alpine, and many more integrated in 225 smartphones over the last five years.
Overview / Introduction
- Executive Summary
- 3-axis synthesis
- 6-axis synthesis
Company Profile
- Company profile Overview
- eCompass Consumer Market
- Design Win
- Ref. Overview
- Supply Chain
- Wearables Market
- Technology Description
Physical, Manufacturing & Cost Analysis
- 3-axis
- AKM AK09915C
- AKM AK09916C
- AKM AK09917D
- AKM AK09918C
- MEMSIC MMC5603NJ
- VOLTAFIELD AF8133J
- VOLTAFIELD AF9133
- SENODIA ST480M
- QST QMC7983
- BOSCH BMM150
- YAMAHA YAS539
- MEMSIC MMC3630KJ
- STMicro LIS2MDL
- ALPS HSCDTDxxx
- ALPS HSCDTDxxx (V2)
- QST QMC6983
- QST QMC5883L
- Synthesis
- 6-axis
- BOSCH BMC150-4
- STMicro LSM303AGR
- Kionix KMX63 1055
Technical and Cost comparison
Magnetometers embedded in consumer electronics is an ultra-competitive market where the selling prices are already very low. AKM currently holds the lead in the 3-axis magnetometer market aimed at smartphones. The three main players in our sampling are AKM, followed by MEMSIC and ALPS Alpine in second and third place respectively (by design wins). The biggest change compared to our last comparative report, published in 2015, is the replacement of Yamaha by MEMSIC for second place.
This report provides an overview of 3-axis and 6-axis eCompasses integrated into 225 smartphones released since 2016, helping readers to understand which magnetometer’s references are used in which smartphones – as well as which manufacturer is integrated in which OEM’s smartphone.
System Plus Consulting has also performed a comparative review of the most common 3-axis and 6-axis eCompass references found in our sampling. We examine the dimensions and internal structures of their packages, MEMS arrays, and application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), as well as their die sizes and cross-sections of the packages, to provide a comprehensive review of eCompass sensors in consumer electronics. Moreover, several components from other players are analyzed. These players, such as Aichi Steel, MEMSIC, ALPS, YAMAHA, Voltafield, SENODIA, STMicroelectronics, QST, and Bosch, use different technologies.
This report also includes a description of eCompass technologies (Hall sensor, AMR, GMR, TMR, MI, Fluxgate) and a comprehensive supply chain evaluation for the majority of 3-axis & 6-axis eCompasses. Lastly, a comparison of the process evolution per manufacturer and cost overview per component are furnished to provide an overview of the current market.
Reverse costing with:
- Package views and dimensions
- Package cross-sections
- Precise measurements
- Die descriptions
- Technology descriptions
- Physical evolution from the previous reference
- Supply chain evaluation
- Cost analysis
- Cost comparison
- Selling price
