The global smartphone applications processor (AP) market grew 32 percent in revenue terms to $7.4 billion in Q3 2020, according to Strategy Analytics.
Apple, Qualcomm, MediaTek, HiSilicon, and Samsung LSI have captured the top-five revenue share spots in the global smartphone applications processor (AP) market in Q3 2020.

Apple led the smartphone AP market with a 31 percent revenue share, followed by Qualcomm with 21 percent and MediaTek with 19 percent.

Smartphone AP market posted all-time-high revenue in Q3 2020, driven by increased mix of 5G APs.

Smartphone APs with on-device artificial intelligence (AI) grew 28 percent in Q3 2020.

Apple overtook Qualcomm to capture the top smartphone AP revenue share spot in the third quarter of 2020. Qualcomm also faced heat from MediaTek in terms of units as Qualcomm’s AP shipments reached the lowest in the last eight years.

“Qualcomm, however, is expected to reclaim its top spot in Q4 2020 with increased 4G and 5G AP shipments,” Sravan Kundojjala, associate director at Strategy Analytics, said in its report released on Tuesday.

HiSilicon and Samsung LSI faced decline in their smartphone AP shipments in Q3 2020.

“Trade restrictions affected HiSilicon’s AP shipments and we expect its shipments to decline further in 2021. Unisoc saw signs of recovery in its smartphone AP shipments with its new Tiger-branded 4G APs,” Stephen Entwistle, VP of the Strategy Analytics Strategic Technologies Practice, said.