The latest report from Omdia has revealed the chipset market share of MediaTek and Qualcomm in the 5G smartphone business.
Chipset market share of MediaTek in 5G smartphones grew to 29.2 percent in Q1 2024 from 22.8 percent in Q1 2023.
UniSoC is MediaTek’s primary competitor in the 5G smartphone market.
Qualcomm Snapdragon’s share in 5G smartphones decreased to 26.5 percent in Q1 2024 from 31.2 percent in Q1 2023.
5G smartphones powered by MediaTek chipsets achieved growth of 53 percent to 53 million in 1Q24 from 34.7 million in 1Q23, according to the latest Omdia Smartphone Model Market Tracker.
Qualcomm Snapdragon-powered 5G smartphones rose from 47.2 million units in 1Q23 to 48.3 million in 1Q24.
Other chipset manufacturers, such as Exynos, Google, Kirin and UniSoC collectively account for 17 percent of shipments. This share has increased in the past year driven by Kirin’s growth, particularly with the Huawei Mate 60 Pro and Nova 12 series.
Following HiSilicon’s announcement to cease Kirin chipset production from September 15, 2020, amid ongoing trade tensions between Huawei and the United States, the Kirin 9000s chipset concluded its production in August 2023.
MediaTek has beaten Qualcomm in the 5G smartphone market due to the availability of 5G phones priced under $250.
Shipments of 5G smartphones below $250 surged by 62 percent, from 38.7 million in 1Q23 to 62.8 million in 1Q24 – supporting the growth of MediaTek.
IDC says 5G smartphone business will achieve nearly 16 percent growth in 2024. In 2025, 5G smartphones will grow 13.2 percent as 5G market share will climb to 74.4 percent, up from 67.2 percent in 2024.
Snapdragon leads in mid-range 5G phones and Apple dominates the premium segment.
Apple, Exynos and Snapdragon underwent significant transitions in their chipset portfolios, focusing on 5G technology. For instance, Exynos reduced its reliance on 4G chipsets from 77 percent of smartphone shipments in 1Q21 to just 1 percent in 1Q24. In comparison, MediaTek continues to use 4G chipsets for over 50 percent of its shipments.
Aaron West, Senior Analyst in Omdia’s Smartphone group, said: “As 5G technology becomes more affordable and is integrated into smartphones priced below $250, MediaTek stands to benefit the most.”
On-device AI capabilities are becoming important to smartphone OEMs, with Snapdragon emerging as a key innovator and preferred choice for premium devices.
IDC forecasts 170 million next-gen AI smartphones to be shipped in 2024, representing almost 15 percent of the total smartphone market.
Baburajan Kizhakedath
