IT giant Intel has lost ground as the world’s largest semiconductor company, as rivals see sales expand through mobile device uptake, while Intel’s PC market shrinks.

A study released at the start of the week by IC Insights, has revealed that the company is facing increased competition and threats to its position as the world’s top semiconductor company.

Rivals including Samsung and Qualcomm are catching up on sales in the semiconductor marketplace as tablet and mobile devices increase in popularity ahead of tradition PC formats.

Intel currently leads the market in terms of chip technology, operating advanced manufacturing factories and delivering chips a generation ahead of competitors, however a specification in a PC market has restricted growth.

Intel sales dropped 3 percent to $11.56 billion in the first quarter of 2013, compared to the same time last year. Samsung recorded a 13 percent rise based on the success of mobile device sales, with its own range of products and other devices, including Apple which uses Samsung based chips, while Qualcomm recorded a 28 percent rise.

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