ARM revenue jumps thanks to Apple, Samsung

Everyone knows that Apple did exceptionally well in the 2011 calendar year. Its revenues are up, its cash reserves are about to break the US$100 billion mark and its stock price is hovering around $455. This boom is not only beneficial for Apple, but, as Electronista points out, it's also a stimulus for other third-party companies involved in the manufacturing of these devices. We often forget that when Apple sells a record number of iPhones and iPads, other companies like ARM are selling a record number of chipsets, radios and camera sensors needed to make these devices.

ARM is one the biggest beneficiaries of this rise in mobile technology. The company's revenue grew 21 percent to US$217 million, and its profit jumped 45 percent. Across the entire industry, the company collected royalty revenue on the 2.2 billion chips it sold in Q4 2011 alone. Almost 60 percent of this royalty revenue came from phones, tablets and other mobile devices.

The top two mobile device manufacturers selling all these ARM-powered devices are Apple and Samsung. Combined, these two companies sold about 95 million mobile devices in the last three months of 2011.