Key points:
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MediaTek: Led the smartphone SoC market with a 43% share in Q2 2021. LTE SoC further helped it to strengthen its market position.
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Qualcomm: Dominated the 5G baseband modem shipments with a 55% share. Qualcomm has realigned its component sourcing strategy, which should boost its supply and earnings.
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Apple: With consistent healthy demand for the premium iPhone 12 series, Apple maintained its third position in the smartphone SoC market in Q2 2021 with a 14% share.
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UNISOC: Its smartphone AP chipset shipments more than doubled in the first half of 2021 compared to the first half of 2020. Improved acceptance of UNISOC-powered smartphones by Chinese consumers is a positive signal for its growth. It captured the fourth position in the quarter with a 9% share.
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Samsung Exynos: It 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. As a result, the share of MediaTek and Qualcomm has been growing across Samsung’s smartphone portfolio, from the mid-range 4G and 5G models manufactured by ODMs to the flagship ones.
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HiSilicon: Affected by the US trade ban, Huawei was unable to manufacture the HiSilicon Kirin chipsets. The accumulated inventory of Kirin SoCs is on the verge of being exhausted. As a result, Huawei launched its P50 series with the latest Qualcomm SoCs but limited to 4G capabilities.
Source: MediaTek Captures 43% Share of Smartphone AP/SoC Shipments: Q2 '21