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The Global smartphone SoC (system on chip) shipments showed 5% YoY growth in the fourth quarter of 2021. According to a recent report of Counterpoint Research, the 5G smartphone chip segment accounted for almost half of the total SoC shipments.
MediaTek was the leading chip manufacturer of Q4 2021 with a 33% market share. The Taiwanese chipmaker saw its shipments decline due to inventory correction, as many Chinese smartphone OEMs had built inventories due to supply chain constraints.
Image: Global Smartphone SoC Shipment Market Share Q4 2021, By Counterpoint Research
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Qualcomm came second with its 30% market share. Its smartphone SoC shipments grew 18% QoQ and 33% YoY in Q4 2021. The key to Qualcomm’s revenue growth was its ability to increase supplies from its major foundry partners by dual-sourcing key products. The company also prioritized high-end Snapdragon sales, which come with higher profitability and less impact from shortages than mid-end and low-end mobile handsets.
5G chip segment is where the US-based company showed complete dominance over its competitors. Qualcomm was able to capture 76% of the 5G chips market. Qualcomm also benefited from massive demand for the iPhone 13 and premium Android devices.
Image: Global Smartphone SoC Shipment Market Share Q4 2021, By Counterpoint Research
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Apple maintained its third position in the smartphone SoC market in Q4 2021 with a 21% share. Unisoc also maintained its strong performance, with its market share entering double digits during the quarter at 11%.
Samsung slipped to the fifth position with a 4% share. Samsung’s Exynos is continuously losing its market share in the mobile processor market. Its strategy to both in-source and outsource chips from other manufacturers has resulted in the growth of MediaTek and Qualcomm SoCs in Samsung’s smartphone portfolio. HiSilicon, on the other hand, remains affected by the US trade ban. Its market share fell to just 1%, and the accumulated inventory of Kirin SoCs is on the verge of being exhausted.
>>> Apple leads the global smartphone shipments in Q4 2021, boosted by its iPhone 13 series
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