Qualcomm Leads 5G Chipset Market in Q3 2020, MediaTek Ahead Overall: Report

MediaTek has left behind the chipset manufacturing giant Qualcomm in terms of overall market share in the Q3 2020. However, Qualcomm still has the edge over MediaTek when it comes to 5G chipset market share. MediaTek reported strong demand and performance of the chipsets in the $100 – $250 (approximately Rs 7,000 – Rs 18,000) price segment. The key markets for the company were India and China. With the help of these two key markets, the Taiwanese chipset maker surpassed Qualcomm in the Q3 of the year. Keep reading ahead to find out more about the story.

MediaTek Chipsets Powered More Than 100 Million Smartphones Sold in the Quarter

As per a report shared by the Counterpoint Research, more than 100 million smartphones carrying MediaTek chipsets were sold during the Q3, 2020. It helped the Taiwanese chipset manufacturer increase its market share from 26% in the previous quarter to 31% in the third quarter.

While on the other hand, Qualcomm saw an overall dip in the market share percentage during the third quarter. Qualcomm came down from 31% in the previous quarter to 29% in the third. Still, one segment where Qualcomm was ahead of any other chipset maker was 5G.

When it came to the 5G chipset, Qualcomm had 39% of the market in the Q3, 2020, which was more than any other chipset manufacturer. Qualcomm released three 5G chipsets during the year namely Snapdragon 690, Snapdragon 750G, Snapdragon 865 series.

Nonetheless, Qualcomm still has a good chance of overtaking MediaTek in the fourth quarter of the year. What’s worth noting here is the growth of MediaTek in the smartphone industry. Xiaomi devices had three times more MediaTek chipsets than the same period last year.

One thing that really worked well for MediaTek was its diverse range of chipsets suitable for different kind of devices. MediaTek manufactured and developed chipsets for entry-level, mid-range, and flagship devices. It also came out with its own 5G series chipsets.

However, Qualcomm is expected to overtake MediaTek in the fourth quarter in terms of overall market share. At the same time, Qualcomm is expected to continue leading the 5G chipset space.

Other chipset makers such as Apple, Samsung, and Huawei managed to get 12% of the market share each. There was practically no growth for Huawei during the quarter, but Apple gained 1% market share, whereas Samsung dropped down from 16% to 12% market share.

Qualcomm has announced its latest 5G flagship chipset, Snapdragon 888 which is expected to power most flagship Android devices in the coming year.