MediaTek Inc (聯發科) overtook Qualcomm Inc as the world’s biggest smartphone chipset supplier for the first time last quarter, as its affordable chips gained traction in emerging markets, market researcher Counterpoint said yesterday.
The Hsinchu-based chipmaker expanded its market share to 31 percent last quarter, from 26 percent a year earlier, a report published by Counterpoint said.
“MediaTek’s strong market share gain in the third quarter of 2020 happened due to three reasons — strong performance in the mid-end smartphone price segment and emerging markets like Latin America, the Middle East and Africa, the US ban on Huawei Technologies Inc (華為), and finally, wins in leading original electronic manufacturers, like Samsung Electronics Co, Xiaomi Corp (小米) and Honor (榮耀),” Counterpoint research Director Dale Gai (蓋欣山) said.
Photo: Lisa Wang, Taipei Times
The share of MediaTek chipsets in Xiaomi phones has increased more than threefold since last year, Gai said.
MediaTek was also able to leverage the gap created due to the US ban on Huawei, he added.
“Affordable MediaTek chips manufactured by Taiwan Semiconductor Corp (台積電) became the first option for many brands to quickly fill the gap left by Huawei,” Gai said. “Huawei also purchased a significant amount of chipsets ahead of the ban.”
Qualcomm saw its share drop to 29 percent last quarter from 31 percent in the same period last year, as it faced competition from MediaTek in the mid-end segment, he said.
However, the US chipmaker posted strong share gains in the high-end segment last quarter from a year earlier, thanks to HiSilicon Technologies Inc’s (海思) supply issues, Gai said.
“We believe that Qualcomm and MediaTek will continue to compete intensively through aggressive pricing and mainstream 5G products into 2021,” he said.
Qualcomm was the biggest 5G chipset vendor last quarter, Gai said, adding that the company’s chips power 39 percent of all 5G smartphones sold worldwide.
Demand for 5G smartphones doubled last quarter, Gai said, adding that about 17 percent of all smartphones sold last quarter featured 5G technology.
The growth trajectory would continue, more so with Apple launching its 5G lineup, Gai said.
One-third of all smartphones shipped this quarter are expected to be 5G phones, he added.
“There is still a chance that Qualcomm will regain the top position in the fourth quarter,” Gai said.
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