Smartphone System on Chip Market Development Trends, 2018 and Beyond

Smartphone shipment volume amounted to 1.5 billion units in 2018, similar to 2017. Although the saturation of the smartphone market has affected the smartphone SoC (System on Chip) market, Apple, Samsung, and Huawei still managed to retain the top three positions in 2018. This report provides an overview of the smartphone and smartphone SoC markets, competitor and technological development analysis of major chipmakers - Apple, Hisilicon, and Qualcomm, and examines future trends of smartphone SoCs in 2019 and beyond.

Topics Covered

Global smartphone market share of major vendors, including Samsung, Apple, Huawei, Xiaomi, Oppo, Vivo, LG, and ZTE and touching on the nascent development of Chinese brands and other brands with in-house production capability as well as the adoption share of Qualcomm SoCs in mid-range and entry-level smartphones
Development of the smartphone SoC market, touching on the development of Apple and Hisilicon and Qualcomm as well as their AnTuTu benchmark scores
Future development trends of smartphones and smartphone SoCs, touching on 5G chips' potential and challenge, key smartphone differentiators, and what chip design houses should do to secure market positions.

1. Introduction

2. Development of Smartphone and SoC Market

2.1 Chinese Brands’ Global Share Keeps Rising Amid Market Saturation
2.2 Adoption of Brands' In-house SoCs in High-end Smartphones Increasing
2.3 Qualcomm’s Position in Mid-Range and Entry-level Smartphone SoC Markets Remains Unchallenged

3. Development of System on Chip Products and Technologies

3.1 Apple Still Leads in Technology While Competition between Hisilicon and Qualcomm Remains Intense
3.2 Apple and Hisilicon Pioneer in Neural Network Computing
3.3 Qualcomm Remains Leader in Mid-range and Value-line Smartphone SoC Markets

4. Future Trends of Smartphones and Chips

4.1 5G Chips Evolving towards Faster Speed
4.2 5G Chip Sales May Still Under Cost Pressure
4.3 Key Smartphone Differentiators to Lie in Advanced Voice Assistant and Smart Management
4.4 Chip Design Houses Should Secure Market Positions by Partnering with IP Providers and Software Developers

AppendixGlossary of TermsList of Companies

List of Figures

Figure 1 Architecture of Smartphone SoCs
Figure 2 Worldwide Smartphone Market Share by Vendor, 2016 - 2018
Figure 3 Worldwide Smartphone Shipment Share by Price Point, 2016 2018
Figure 4 SoCs Adopted by World’s Top Three Smartphone Brands, 2016 - 2018
Figure 5 Shipment Share of Mid-range and Entry-level Smartphones Adopted with Qualcomm’s Chips
Figure 6: AnTuTu Benchmark Scores of System on Chips from Apple, Hisilicon, Samsung, and Qualcomm
Figure 7 AnTuTu Benchmark, Speed, and Process Node: Qualcomm vs MediaTek
Figure 8 Advantages of Smartphones 5G Applications
Figure 9 5G Smartphones and Their Chip Supply Chains
Figure 10 Applications of AI Technology in Smartphones
Figure 11 Cooperation between Chipmakers and IP Providers/Software Developers

Companies Mentioned

A selection of companies mentioned in this report includes:

Antutu
Apple
ARM
Cambricon
EllipticLabs
Hisilicon
Huawei
Intel
LG
MediaTek
Nokia
Oppo
Qualcomm
Rockchip
Samsung
SenseTime
Spreadtrum
Thundercomm
Vivo
Xiaomi
ZT

Methodology

Primary research with a holistic, cross-domain approach

The exhaustive primary research methods are central to the value that the analyst delivers. A combination of questionnaires and on-site visits to the major manufacturers provides a first view of the latest data and trends. Information is subsequently validated by interviews with the manufacturers' suppliers and customers, covering a holistic industry value chain. This process is backed up by a cross-domain team-based approach, creating an interlaced network across numerous interrelated components and system-level devices to ensure statistical integrity and provide in-depth insight.

Complementing primary research is a running database and secondary research of industry and market information. Dedicated research into the macro-environmental trends shaping the ICT industry also allows the analyst to forecast future development trends and generate foresight perspectives. With more than 20 years of experience and endeavors in research, the methods and methodologies include:

Method