Qualcomm’s Snapdragon processors will be in 40-50% of the global volume of Samsung’s next-generation Galaxy S phones, the chipmaker said at its investor conference in New York today.
That means for the Galaxy S22, Samsung will follow the strategy it has used for several years now—offering Qualcomm-based models in some regions and its own Exynos chipset in others. Traditionally, the US, Canada, Japan, and China get Qualcomm-powered S-series phones.
The company’s chips will also appear in other 2022 flagships, CEO Cristiano Amon said. He mentioned Honor, Oppo, Xiaomi. and Vivo as brands that will feature Qualcomm in next year’s phones. That also probably loops in OnePlus, as OnePlus and Oppo are now nearly merged.
While much of this news is stay-the-course-type information from the chipmaker—these are partners that have used Qualcomm for years now—it’s a signal of where Qualcomm isn’t losing flagship market share volume to swiftly rising competitor MediaTek, which is now the No. 1 smartphone chipset vendor by volume, according to Counterpoint Research. But Qualcomm still has a larger share in more profitable, more expensive phones.
“There’s incredible opportunity within the Android space,” Amon said. “There’s a change in the OEM landscape, and there’s an opportunity for Android to move forward, to become more premium. Snapdragon has been the undisputed leader setting the industry benchmark for premium experiences in mobile.”
Staying in iPhones Until 2023?
Qualcomm modems will start to phase out of iPhones in 2023, according to analyst Anshel Sag, who’s reporting from the conference.
Apple’s iPhones all use Qualcomm 4G/5G modems this year, and it looks like the same will go for the 2022 models. But according to a slide cited by Sag, by 2023 Qualcomm’s share in iPhones is likely to drop to 20% as Apple launches its own modems with new models. The Qualcomm modems may be used in certain regions (like the US, where our carriers are very picky) or only on certain phones. By 2024, Qualcomm is likely to be out of iPhones.
The company “expect[s] that business to be replaced” by other customers, Sag said.
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