According to a report made by Counterpoint Research, MediaTek has surpassed Qualcomm to become the biggest smartphone chipset vendor in Q3 2020. MediaTek held a 31% market share in Q3 in the smartphone chipset market, followed by Qualcomm with a 29% market share.

According to Research Director Dale Gai, MediaTek’s strong market share gain in Q3 2020 occoured because of the following reasons: MediaTek provided economic price and strong performance in the mid-end smartphone price segment. MediaTek also targeted emerging markets like LATAM and MEA. Finally, the US ban on Huawei and HiSilicon’s supply issues became the competition cutters. Qualcomm, on the other hand, posted strong share gains in the high-end segment in Q3 2020. However, Qualcomm faces tough competition from MediaTek in the mid-end segment. Qualcomm powered 39% of the 5G phones around the world, making it the biggest chipset vendor for 5G smartphones in Q3 2020.

Qualcomm and MediaTek have both adjusted their portfolios, focusing more on consumers. MediaTek is focusing on the price vs. performance factor. MediaTek has launched a new gaming-based MediaTek Helio G-series, focusing on performance, while MediaTek Dimensity chipsets focus on making 5G more affordable.