Rising demand for AI and efficiency boosts advanced chip adoption.
Samsung Leads 2-nm Market, Challenging Qualcomm and MediaTek Dominance
Smartphone SoC shipment and revenue share by brand for advanced processes. (Photo, Counterpoint Research)
With performance demands for smartphones rising due to factors like the advancement of artificial intelligence, it is projected that the share of advanced process nodes at 5nm (nanometer, one-billionth of a meter) or smaller will account for 60% of total System-on-Chip (SoC) shipments for smartphones.
According to Counterpoint Research’s ‘Global Smartphone SoC Shipments’ forecast report, the share of advanced processes of 5nm and below, which surpassed 50% of the total last year, is expected to increase to approximately 60% this year.
Driven by improvements in power efficiency and enhanced AI capabilities, the adoption of advanced processes is expanding not only in premium but also across mid-range smartphones.
However, due to memory supply constraints, total smartphone SoC shipments this year are expected to see a double-digit decrease year-on-year. Shipments of 2nm and 3nm processes are projected to grow by 18% year-on-year and are expected to be featured in approximately one out of every three smartphones.
Samsung Electronics is leading the 2-nanometer process market by being the first in the industry to equip the Galaxy S26 series with its 2nm-based mobile application processor (AP), the ‘Exynos 2600’.
Shivani Parashar, a senior analyst at Counterpoint Research, analyzed, “Samsung is emerging as an early adopter of the 2nm process, similar to how Apple led the 3nm transition in the past,” adding, “At the same time, it is increasing competitive pressure on Qualcomm and MediaTek by expanding the adoption of its in-house chipsets in mid-range smartphones.”
The accelerated transition to advanced processes could lead to an increase in chip prices. Consequently, as the Average Selling Price (ASP) rises, the revenue share of advanced processes is expected to account for 86% of the total smartphone SoC market.
Counterpoint Research stated, “TSMC continues to lead the foundry market with a share of over 86%, but its market share is expected to decline slightly due to the growth of Samsung Foundry and China’s SMIC,” and “Samsung Foundry is not only expanding the use of its own SoCs but is also seeking collaboration with Qualcomm, a strategy that could be a win-win for both companies in the smartphone market.”
Kim Eun-jin
댓글
0