MediaTek gains highest ever market share of the global smartphone chipsets: Report – Times of India

Taiwanese chip maker MediaTek surpassed Qualcomm in global chipset shipments in 2020. The company continues to lead the market in 2021 as well. According to a report by Counterpoint Research, MediaTek gained its highest ever 43% market share of the global smartphone SoC (System on Chip) chipset during Q2, 2021. The company had a market share of 35% in the first quarter of 2021.
Qualcomm, on the other hand, accounted for 24% market share during the same period. The chipmaker has lost 4% market share since Q2, 2020. Supply-side constraints and yield issues impacted the overall chip shipments by Qualcomm.
Apple remained in the third spot with a market share of 14%, thanks to the consistent iPhone 12 series demand.
China’s Unisoc expanded its share from 4% last year to 9% in Q2, 2021. It gained the fourth spot. Samsung’s Exynos slipped to the fifth position with a 7% share as it is in the middle of rejigging its smartphone portfolio strategy of in-sourcing as well as outsourcing to Chinese ODMs, the report says.
HiSilicon, affected by the US ban, was the last in the list. The company’s market share dropped from 16% in Q2, 2020 to a mere 3% in Q2, 2021. The accumulated inventory of Kirin SoCs is on the verge of being exhausted, Counterpoint Research shows.
Growth of 5G phones drove the global shipment
As per the report, global smartphone AP (Application Processor)/SoC chipset shipments grew 31% Year-on-Year in Q2, 2021. The growth was driven by the growth of 5G smartphones. According to the report, 5G smartphone shipments grew almost four times compared to the same period a year ago.