Apple is second biggest vendor in the SoC smartphone chipset market

Driven by the global premium and mid-tier 5G portfolio, global smartphone AP (Application Processor)/SoC (System on Chip) chipset and baseband revenues grew 23% year-over-year in the first quarter of  2022, according to Counterpoint Research. 

“Qualcomm leads the smartphone AP/SoC and baseband revenues with 44% share. The revenue reached $6.3 billion for Qualcomm, growing 56% year-over-year in Q1 2022, driven by the higher premium mix which has led to growth in the ASPs [average sale prices]. Qualcomm also provides the discrete baseband shipments to Apple and Qualcomm’s own AP’s, which contribute to around a quarter of Qualcomm’s smartphone AP/SoC and baseband revenues.”

With consistent healthy demand for the premium iPhone 13 series, Apple captured the second position with a 26% share, according to Counterpoint Research. Apple uses Qualcomm’s discrete basebands for 5G connectivity in the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 series.