We are aware of the competition between smartphone processors, be it Qualcomm or MediaTek or Apple, or others. If we talk about the two prominent players in the market, MediaTek and Qualcomm are the intense competitors. A recent report published by Counterpoint Research provides insights into these companies' performance, showing notable trends and market views in the latest Q1 2023. Let's look at the war for dominance between MediaTek and Qualcomm, as well as the other companies in the global smartphone processor market share in Q1 2023.

Global Smartphone Processor Market Share Q1 2023

Qualcomm is a relatively older company, but if we look at the above trend, MediaTek has a huge share in the smartphone processor market today with clear dominance in budget phones. The improvements they are bringing to these low-cost phones are changing the Chipset industry. Due to their focus on the budget smartphone segment, MediaTek came out as a market leader with a 32% market share during the first quarter of 2023. On the other hand, competitively, Qualcomm was able to capture a 28% market share in the same quarter.The market share of MediaTek is still a decrement as compared to the previous quarter. In comparison, Qualcomm relatively increased its market share from the previous quarter by a huge number. MediaTek faced challenges such as inventory adjustments and weaker demand, resulting in declining quantities and market share. Analysts anticipate a potential improvement for MediaTek in the second half of the year as inventory levels shall take a good turn.

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Qualcomm’s Established Position

Qualcomm remains an important player in the smartphone processor market, due to its reputation and experience. Its processors are widely used in flagship smartphones across various brands. This generally reflects the trust of manufacturers in Qualcomm's technology. Despite temporary inventory reductions expected in Q2 2023, Qualcomm's position will probably stabilize in forthcoming quarters. Snapdragon processors provide efficient processing capabilities and longer battery life, delivering a seamless user experience. Qualcomm's established position continues to hold significant weight in the industry, despite the growth of MediaTek.

MediaTek's Growing Popularity

MediaTek has made some remarkable progress, especially in the low-cost smartphone processor market share. The company focuses on innovation, features like deca-core X-series processors, and innovative fabrication techniques. These advancements have changed the market value by providing outstanding performance and energy efficiency in low-cost smartphones. The company also improved the issues such as overheating. This optimization consequently improved user experiences and satisfaction. These are a few reasons for MediaTek’s growing popularity.The competition in the smartphone processor market between MediaTek and Qualcomm is not quite new. MediaTek indeed has a wonderfully highest market share, but Qualcomm's established market presence and reputation cannot be overlooked. MediaTek focuses on innovation and improvement in the budget smartphone sector. Simultaneously, Qualcomm's trusted and evergreen position and quality remain attractive to flagship or high-end smartphone manufacturers. As the market continues to evolve, it will be fascinating to witness how these two industry giants shape the future of smartphone processors.Meanwhile, check out our comparison of Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, A16 Bionic, and Dimensity 9200.