MediaTek Exited 2021 with Over 75 Million Unit Lead Over Qualcomm in Smartphone Apps Processors

[TheLostSwede]

The global smartphone applications processor (AP) market grew 23 percent to $30.8 billion in 2021, according to Strategy Analytics' Handset Component Technologies (HCT) service report. According to this Strategy Analytics' Handset Component Technologies (HCT) research report, " Smartphone Apps Processor Market Share Tracker Q4 2021: Qualcomm Increases Revenue Share Lead", Qualcomm, MediaTek, Apple, Samsung LSI and Unisoc grabbed the top-five revenue share ranking spots in the smartphone applications processor (AP) market in 2021.

Sravan Kundojjala, author of the report and Director of Handset Component Technologies service at Strategy Analytics, commented, "For the first time on an annual basis, MediaTek overtook Qualcomm in units and established over 75 million unit-lead in smartphone APs 2021. MediaTek capitalized on Qualcomm's defocus on mid and low tier 4G LTE APs and gained volume share. Despite the loss of unit share crown, Qualcomm exited 2021 with over 43% higher revenue than MediaTek, thanks to an increased mix of higher-priced premium and high-tier APs. Both companies performed well in the 5G AP segment and posted a 13-year high in their AP average selling prices (ASPs)."




Mr. Kundojjala continued, "Unisoc made a strong comeback in 2021 with the help of renewed LTE AP portfolio and tier-one design wins. Strategy Analytics believes that Unisoc has the potential to take LTE AP share from MediaTek in 2022 as the latter shifts its focus to 5G. On the other hand, Samsung LSI saw a sharp decline in its AP shipments as its primary customer Samsung Mobile shifted orders to Qualcomm, MediaTek and Unisoc. As a result, for the first time in the last six years, Samsung shipped less than 100 million APs in 2021. However, Samsung could regain market share with its new Exynos 1280 mid-range 5G AP in 2022."

• Qualcomm maintained its smartphone AP leadership with a 38 percent revenue share, followed by MediaTek and Apple with each 26 percent.
• Apple, MediaTek, Qualcomm and Unisoc gained market share while HiSilicon and Samsung LSI lost share.
• 5G-attached AP shipments grew 84 percent year-over-year, accounting for 46 percent of total smartphone APs shipped in 2021.
• Shipments of APs with on-device artificial intelligence (AI) engines crossed 900 million in 2021, roughly flat compared to 2020. However, increased shipments of mid-range APs without AI engines limited the growth.
• Top-selling Android AI APs include Snapdragon 888/888+, 765/G, 750G and 662 and Dimensity 700.
• TSMC manufactured three in four smartphone APs shipped in 2021. In addition, semiconductor foundries, including TSMC and Samsung Foundry, held up well despite supply constraints and helped the industry capture growth.
• Smartphone APs manufactured in 7 nm and below process technologies accounted for 43 percent of total smartphone AP shipments in 2021.
• Google entered the smartphone AP market in 2021 with its Pixel Tensor chip, capturing approximately 0.1 percent unit and revenue share.

View at TechPowerUp Main Site | Source

 

[TheinsanegamerN]

They still lack verizon compatibility, which is a royal PITA here in the USA, as so many phone companies are cheaping out and using mediatek chips in their low and mid range phones. Now when people ask me for a phone that isnt full of verizon garbage I have owhere to point them that isnt $500+

 

[theFOoL]

To me I would not bother with MK bc of lack of performance at least to my testing from year past

 

[TheLostSwede]

To me I would not bother with MK bc of lack of performance at least to my testing from year past

MTK have stepped up the game this past year and have parts that compete with Qualcomm.
That said, the software side is still said to be behind.

 

[zlobby]

Remember, folks - quality over quantity!

 

[InVasMani]

It's amazing to see how far Qualcomm and likewise MediaTek have come in the last decade. Who would've foreseen this trajectory of them!!? I mean most would've anticipated growth, but I think they've surprised and exceeded expectations myself with how far they've progressed over time their both heavy weight names today that hold their own against some of these other behemoth mainstay names like Samsung and Apple. I guess you knew there would be growth, but the rate of growth is almost staggering really. I wonder if we will see a similar event some newer upstarts something that immediately comes to mind is RISC-V. I for one can't see to see what unfolds over a decade with that it shall be a fascinating technological adventure.

Remember, folks - quality over quantity!

That in part depends on the quantity relative to the quality!

 

[noel_fs]

big cap

 

[Roph]

They still lack verizon compatibility, which is a royal PITA here in the USA, as so many phone companies are cheaping out and using mediatek chips in their low and mid range phones. Now when people ask me for a phone that isnt full of verizon garbage I have owhere to point them that isnt $500+

That's more verizon's fault for using CDMA than mediatek's fault for sticking to GSM which is what basically the entire world uses. And America using different frequencies (850 vs 800 etc), again unlike the rest of the planet. Here any phone from any OEM works anywhere on any carrier. The US is a comparatively small market so I'm not surprised they're not very interested. That's probably also why Xiaomi simply ignores the US despite being the 2nd largest phone manufactuer behind samsung.

 

[RedBear]

The US is a comparatively small market so I'm not surprised they're not very interested. That's probably also why Xiaomi simply ignores the US despite being the 2nd largest phone manufactuer behind samsung.

I thought it was mostly because half of the market is occupied by Apple, it's something that makes the American market quite unique and probably more difficult to penetrate for other players (good luck convincing iOS users to abandon most of the closed Apple ecosystem).

 

[zlobby]

That's more verizon's fault for using CDMA than mediatek's fault for sticking to GSM which is what basically the entire world uses. And America using different frequencies (850 vs 800 etc), again unlike the rest of the planet. Here any phone from any OEM works anywhere on any carrier. The US is a comparatively small market so I'm not surprised they're not very interested. That's probably also why Xiaomi simply ignores the US despite being the 2nd largest phone manufactuer behind samsung.

CDMA is ought to be retired come 2023.

Apart from other things, all US should brace for Samsung's sheety Exynos.