Walk into any tech expo these days and you'll see one thing loud and clear: IoT is everywhere. From smart doorbells and fitness trackers to industrial sensors buried deep inside factories, the Internet of Things isn't some buzzword anymore—it's daily reality.

And with that, the demand for IoT chips is rising fast. Not just in quantity, but also in variety. One client wants ultra-low-power chips for battery-run devices, another needs rugged chips that can handle heat and dust in outdoor setups. It's not a one-size-fits-all game anymore.

As a distributor, you can't just rely on your old supply list and expect to stay relevant. Customers are asking more questions, comparing more specs, and moving faster. If you don't have what they need, they're on to the next source.

One thing we've noticed? Lead times matter more than ever. Buyers aren't willing to wait 12 weeks unless they absolutely have to. If you can deliver in days instead of weeks, that's gold.

Also, sourcing has become more complicated lately. There are new players entering the chip manufacturing space—some good, some sketchy. It's getting harder to tell who's reliable. That's where your relationships and on-the-ground judgment really come into play.

Edge computing is another angle worth watching. More and more devices are doing their own local processing instead of sending everything to the cloud. That means chips need to be smarter, but still power-efficient. It's a tight balance, and not every product on the market nails it.

Pricing? Still a mess in some areas. Even though things have calmed down a bit since the worst of the shortages, certain specs still carry a premium. Planning ahead and locking in supply is key—especially for those customers who hate surprises.

Long story short, IoT is hot, and it's not slowing down. But it's also evolving, fast. Distributors who want to keep up need to do more than just stock shelves—they need to understand where the market is going, and move with it.