Counterpoint Research has recorded a decline of 5% in the smartphone chipset market in its latest report on this sector. Then again, it is for the first quarter of the year in question (2022), which is rarely the best season for this market, especially for one also marked by the resumption of lockdowns in Chinese manufacturing centers and reduced demand in the same country.
In addition, there may have been an effect of over-supply in 1Q2022. However, this contraction may not have mattered too much to the world's biggest foundries, as their takings increased by 23% YoY in any case. This may have been particularly good news for TSMC, as it contributed 69.9% of all shipments in 1Q2022.
This majority was of course attributed to factors such as the launch of MediaTek's new Dimensity 9000 flagship, made using TSMC's 4 nanometer (nm) node. On that note, Samsung Foundry did hit back to some extent, as it managed to grab 60% of the "advanced node" (defined as chipsets of 4 to 7nm in architecture) segment in 1Q2022.
Those figures were in stark contrast to 1Q2021, in which Samsung commanded just 8.6% of the advanced node sector. The South Korean behemoth turned things around thanks to factors such as the 5nm Exynos 1280 SoC found in a number of higher-end 2022 Galaxy A-series phones; the Exynos 2200 found in a good proportion of all Galaxy S22-series units sold worldwide, and, of course, having secured the contract for the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 found in the rest.
However, of course, TSMC stands to respond strongly from 2Q2022 onward, as it has taken over for the succeeding Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC - and is responsible for the Dimensity 9000+ as well. On the other hand, Samsung might have the ultimate last laugh in 2023 as it is has officially beaten its Taiwanese rival in the race to 3nm chipset production.
Buy an 8 Gen 1-powered Galaxy S22 Ultra on Amazon