The quarterly report by Counterpoint Research on smartphone SoC shipments has finally been published. During July-September 2021, MediaTek increased its lead over Qualcomm.
Unisoc reached double-digit market shares, surpassing Samsung in fourth place. While HiSilicon continues to lose shares, holding only 2% of the market share.
Unisoc maintained the record of a third consecutive quarter of growth thanks to its partnerships with Realme, Motorola, ZTE, Samsung, and many others. The company also sold chips to Honor, a brand that once used to rely on HiSilicon.
Thanks to the increasing demands of 4G SoC, MediaTek was able to secure a large chunk of the market share. Plus, shortages of 5G chips were a cherry on top, aiding the company chipsets for 2 out of every 5 smartphones.
Despite disrupted supply chains, Qualcomm was able to acquire 62% of the market share with NR connectivity. Qualcomm acquired dual contractors for manufacturing key components such as the Snapdragon 8-series SoCs and premium 5G modems.
The increase in demand for iPhones driven by Apple’s introduction of the iPhone 13 series in September also helped Qualcomm drive the market share, as the company supplies the modems.
Apple on the other hand maintained its spot as No. 3 in the smartphone chip manufacturer in the world. However, Q4 data will soon reveal the impact of component shortages on the company.
