The skyrocketing prices of memory chips are changing smartphone makers’ product mix — cheap, low-margin phones aren’t selling so well, while expensive, high-performance models have bigger margins that help them absorb the blow. According to the report, all this has affected the smartphone chipset market. competition.
MediaTek remains the largest vendor, although its market share has declined from 38% in the first quarter of 2025 to 32% in the first quarter this year. MediaTek’s strong presence in the entry-level and mid-tier segments is weakening due to low smartphone sales in those segments.
According to analysts, it is unlikely that the company will launch the Dimensity 9500+ as smartphone makers are focusing on using the existing 9500 instead. Meanwhile, the Dimensity 8450 has boosted shipments in the mid-range market thanks to popular models like the Oppo Reno15 Pro, Reno15 Pro Mini, and Reno15 Pro Max.
Qualcomm is the second largest chipset vendor and its market share has also declined year-on-year. competition The Galaxy S26 series is to blame for this – not only did the phones launch late (so they were only on sale in the last month of the quarter), but some of them use Samsung’s Exynos 2600. Furthermore, the Snapdragon 4 and 6 series chips for entry-level and mid-range phones are getting worse for the reasons mentioned above.
Speaking of Samsung, Exynos shipments are up compared to Q1 2025 as more Galaxy phones use in-house chipsets – not just the 2600 flagship offerings, but also the likes of Exynos 1680 in the Galaxy A57 and Exynos 1480 in the Galaxy A37.
Apple is the third-largest chipset maker – but that’s actually a reflection of the fact that it’s the second-largest smartphone maker. Even though it is its only customer, it saw an increase in shipments of Apple A-series chips due to strong demand for the iPhone 17 models. This includes the iPhone 17e, which outperformed the 16e by a significant margin (and is powered by the current A19 chip).
Unisoc has been successful 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.
Finally, HiSilicon (Huawei) shipments declined slightly in Q1. The good news is that there was strong demand for premium offerings like the Kirin 9000 chips inside the new Huawei Mate 80 series.
| Brands | Q1 2024 | Q2 2024 | Q3 2024 | Q4 2024 | Q1 2025 | Q2 2025 | Q3 2025 | Q4 2025 | Q1 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| mediatek | 41% | 34% | 37% | 31% | 38% | 36% | 34% | 31% | 32% |
| Qualcomm | 27% | 30% | 24% | 25% | 27% | 26% | 25% | 21% | 23% |
| Apple | 16% | 15% | 17% | 21% | 15% | 15% | 17% | 23% | 19% |
| UNISOC | 9% | 14% | 13% | 14% | 10% | 13% | 14% | 15% | 14% |
| SAMSUNG | 5% | 4% | 5% | 4% | 5% | 6% | 6% | 5% | 7% |
| HiSilicon (Huawei) | 2% | 3% | 4% | 4% | 4% | 4% | 3% | 4% | 4% |
| Other | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% |
apple iphone 17e
| 256GB 8GB RAM | ₹ 64,900 |
$550.00 |
| 512GB 8GB RAM | €869.00 |
£726.99 |
| Show all prices | ||
Oppo Reno15 Pro 5G (Global)
| 512GB 12GB RAM | ₹ 72,999 |
$899.00 |
| 256GB 12GB RAM | ₹ 67,999 |
|
| Show all prices | ||