New Delhi: The global smartphone application processor (AP) market grew 17 per cent to $8.3 billion in the third quarter (Q3) of 2021, with US-based chip maker Qualcomm and Taiwan-based MediaTek reporting double-digit growth. A new report from Strategy Analytics’ Handset Component Technologies (HCT).
Qualcomm maintained its smartphone AP leadership with 34 percent revenue share, followed by Apple with 28 percent and MediaTek with 27 percent. MediaTek edged out Qualcomm in the first nine months of 2021 with a lead of 26 million units. As a result, it is on track to become the leading smartphone AP vendor by unit for the first time on an annual basis this year.
TSMC manufactured three-quarters of the total smartphone APs shipped this quarter, followed by Samsung Foundry.
“Qualcomm, MediaTek and Unisoc all posted solid double-digit shipments and revenue growth in smartphone APs in the third quarter of 2021. Qualcomm and MediaTek benefited from the forced exit of HiSilicon, while Unisoc increased its 3G and 4G APs. Sees strong growth in shipments. Strategy Analytics believes 4G AP foundry capacity remains tight. We expect AP vendors to focus more on 5G to maximize their revenue and profits in 2022 do.”
AP shipments connected to 5G increased 82 percent year-over-year, leading to a 19 percent increase in overall AP average selling price (ASP). Qualcomm’s premium tier AP Snapdragon 888/888+ was the best-selling Android AP during the quarter. Smartphone APs manufactured in 7 nm and below process technologies accounted for 47 percent of total smartphone AP shipments in the third quarter of 2021.
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