Qualcomm top in application processors

According to Strategy Analytics, Qualcomm maintained its dominance in the smartphone applications processor market with 48 percent revenue share in 1H 2012. However, the applications processor market saw the most intense competition yet during this period. Some findings of the report:

• Qualcomm led the smartphone applications processor market in both unit and revenue terms in 1H 2012.
• Samsung, MediaTek, Broadcom and Texas Instruments took the rest of the top-five spots in the smartphone applications processor market in 1H 2012.
• MediaTek showed thirteen fold year-on-year growth in 1H 2012 and ranked number three on the strength of its strong momentum in the low-to-mid range smartphone segment.
• Broadcom ranked number four in 1H 2012 with the help of its strategic low-end Android smartphone design-wins at Samsung.
• ST-Ericsson continued its recovery and the company’s NovaThor-branded applications processors showed 28 percent sequential growth in Q2 2012 to register the highest quarterly shipments for over four years.
• New entrant Intel took a minor 0.2 percent unit shipment share in 1H 2012 with the help of its 32 nm-based Medfield processor.

According to Sravan Kundojjala, Senior Analyst, "Qualcomm captured 48 percent revenue share in the smartphone applications processor market 1H 2012. The company’s high-end LTE Snapdragon processor MSM8960 gained strong traction and featured in multiple LTE flagships from global tier-one smartphone manufacturers. Strategy Analytics notes that Qualcomm’s early LTE modem leadership has helped the company to stay ahead of the competition." According to Stuart Robinson, Director of the Strategy Analytics Handset Component Technologies service, "MediaTek surged to the number three position in the smartphone applications processor market in 1H 2012, by Strategy Analytics estimates. The company continues to leverage its strong position in the strategic Chinese smartphone market to boost its share. Strategy Analytics believes that MediaTek is well-situated to translate its success from feature phones to smartphones and ride the smartphone wave in emerging markets."