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5 Reasons Why Smart Audio Is Rising to iPhone Challenge

R. Colin Johnson | Date: 01-03-11 | Comments

Micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) microphones were incorporated in the iPhone 4, and now every major smartphone maker is following suit. Despite their copy-cat motivation, there are five smart technological reasons why every mobile device maker will switch to MEMS mics over the next few years.

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5 Reasons Why Smart Audio Is Rising to iPhone Challenge

Micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) microphones use semiconductor fabrication equipment to make sub-millimeter diaphragms that can be housed on the same microchip as the electronic circuitry that converts sound�an analog signal�into digital data. While MEMS mics have been available for several years, their adoption has been slow�mainly because their cost is significantly higher than the cheap, mass-produced, analog electret microphones in widespread use today.

The silicon microphone diaphragm (center) is surrounded by its CMOS circuitry on Analog Devices MEMS microphone (source: ADI).

However, now that Apple has adopted MEMS mics for the iPhone 4, a mass market for them is virtually guaranteed as every other smartphone maker rushes to keep up with Apple. In 2010 alone, sales of MEMS mics rose 50 percent, and with every mobile device maker switching to MEMS mics over the next few years, market research company iSuppli (a subsidiary of IHS Inc., Englewood, Colo.) predicts that sales will rise to 1.7 billion units by 2014, up from 659 million in 2010.

"The majority of smartphones by 2014 will use two or more MEMS microphones," said Jeremie Bouchaud, director and principal analyst of MEMS for iSuppli. "The mobile handset market in 2010 is the largest consumer of MEMS microphones, followed by notebook PCs and Bluetooth headsets, but by 2014 the third slot will likely be slate-type tablets, such as Apple's iPad."

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