Smartphone chipset market share data for the last quarter shows MediaTek still on top globally at thirty-four percent, though that is a dip from the previous year. They are losing ground in cheaper phone segments, and their high-end Dimensity 9500 did not drive significant growth. Qualcomm also lost share, dropping to twenty-four percent as interest in their premium Snapdragon 8 Elite chips slowed down.
Apple saw the biggest gain, hitting eighteen percent market share thanks to massive demand for the iPhone 17 and its new A19 series processors. Their tactic of using two different chipsets in the lineup, giving even the base model a powerful processor, worked perfectly. Qualcomm is now copying that dual chipset strategy for its own lineup.
Things could get worse for MediaTek and Qualcomm next year. The ongoing DRAM shortage is expected to raise smartphone production costs by up to twenty-five percent. If MediaTek sticks to its usual single flagship chip plan while Apple launches the A20 series, they could keep losing share. MediaTek's next chip, the Dimensity 9600, will use an expensive new manufacturing process, which might finally force it to adopt a two-chip strategy as well.
Apple saw the biggest gain, hitting eighteen percent market share thanks to massive demand for the iPhone 17 and its new A19 series processors. Their tactic of using two different chipsets in the lineup, giving even the base model a powerful processor, worked perfectly. Qualcomm is now copying that dual chipset strategy for its own lineup.
Things could get worse for MediaTek and Qualcomm next year. The ongoing DRAM shortage is expected to raise smartphone production costs by up to twenty-five percent. If MediaTek sticks to its usual single flagship chip plan while Apple launches the A20 series, they could keep losing share. MediaTek's next chip, the Dimensity 9600, will use an expensive new manufacturing process, which might finally force it to adopt a two-chip strategy as well.
