Counterpoint: shipments of MediaTek and Qualcomm chipsets decline

The skyrocketing costs of memory chips are changing the product mix of smartphone makers – cheaper, lower-margin phones aren’t selling so well, while pricier, high-performance models have bigger margins that helped them to absorb the blow. All of this has had an effect on the chipset market for smartphones, reportsCounterpoint. MediaTek remains the largest vendor, though its market share has declined from 38% in Q1 2025 to 32% in Q1 this year. MediaTek’s strong presence in the entry-level and mid-tier segments is being undermined by the reduced smartphone sales in those segments. According to the analysts, it’s unlikely that the company will launch a Dimensity 9500+ as smartphone makers are focused on using the current 9500 instead. Meanwhile, theDimensity 8450has boosted shipments in the mid-range market thanks to popular models like theOppo Reno15 Pro,Reno15 Pro MiniandReno15 Pro Max.

Qualcomm is the second largest chipset vendor and its market share has declined year-over-year too.Counterpointblames this on the Galaxy S26 series – not only did the phones launch late (so they were on sale only in the last month of the quarter), but some of them use theExynos 2600from Samsung. Also, Snapdragon 4 and 6 series chips for entry-level and mid-range phones are suffering for the reasons mentioned above. Apple is the third-largest chipset maker – but that is really a reflection of the fact that it is thesecond-largest smartphone maker. Even though it is its only customer, it saw increased shipments of Apple A-series chips on the back ofstrong demand for iPhone 17 models. This includes theiPhone 17e, which outsold the 16e by a significant margin (and is powered by the current A19 chip). Unisoc has found success in powering Redmi phones. Its T7250 was a popular choice for 4G-only phones, while the T8300 helped Unisoc increase its market share in the 5G segment. Source