MediaTek became the world’s biggest smartphone chipset vendor in Q3 2020 after overtaking Qualcomm, according to a new report from Counterpoint Research.
The report indicates that MediaTek’s strong performance in the $100-$250 price band and growth in key regions such as China and India helped it reach this position.
On the other hand, Qualcomm remained the biggest 5G chipset vendor in the quarter, which isn’t surprising. The company powered 39 percent of the 5G phones sold worldwide.
“The demand for 5G smartphones doubled in Q3 2020 — 17 percent of all smartphones sold in Q3 2020 were 5G. This impressive growth trajectory is going to continue, more so with Apple launching its 5G line-up,” the report reads.
One-third of all smartphones shipped in Q4 2020 are expected to be 5G-enabled. It’s also possible that Qualcomm will regain its top position in the fourth quarter of the year.
Counterpoint Research outlines that MediaTek was able to leverage the gap created due to the U.S. government’s restrictions on Huawei, as affordable MediaTek chips became the first option for many manufacturers.
“Qualcomm faced competition from MediaTek in the mid-end segment. We believe both will continue to compete intensively through aggressive pricing, and mainstream 5G SoC products into 2021,” said Counterpoint Research director Dale Gai in the report.
The report concludes that Qualcomm and MediaTek will continue to contend for the top position in 2021.
Image credit: Counterpoint Research
Source: Counterpoint Research
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