Qualcomm still had the lead in supplying chips to high-mid-range models priced in the $300-$499 tier. Its top AP chips in that sector included the Snapdragon 870, 720G, 750G, and 778G. In that price band, MediaTek's Dimensity SoCs had the second largest market share with Samsung dropping off to third, and Huawei a close fourth.
In the low-mid-range category, MediaTek and its Dimensity chipsets had the lead last year with Qualcomm second, Samsung third, Huawei fourth, and Unisoc fifth. For low-end handsets priced at $99 and less, MediaTek had the vast majority of the market with Qualcomm second, Samsung third, and Unisoc fourth.
Counterpoint says that to alleviate chip shortages in the future, Qualcomm could rely on dual-sourcing from both TSMC and Samsung. When it comes to its designs, the research firm says that"Qualcomm is generations ahead of its competition when it comes to premium experiences in a chipset, whether it is compute , AI , connectivity , security, or gaming capabilities."
As for MediaTek, Counterpoint points out that most of MediaTek's growth came from smartphones priced wholesale at $299 and less. The research firm says that most of the shortages in the chip market were for SoCs destined for 4G LTE handsets.MediaTek is going after Qualcomm and Samsung's flagship business with the Dimensity 9000. Most of the smartphone manufacturers in China such as OPPO, vivo, Xiaomi, and HONOR will release phones powered by the Dimensity 9000 this year.