Smartphone and tablet AP markets rise 30% in 3Q13

Editor: Helan　　 Update Time :2013/12/20 16:34

　　The global smartphone application processor (AP) market registered on-year growth of 31% to reach US$4.9 billion in the third quarter of 2013, while the tablet AP market grew 30% from a year ago to US$1.2 billion, according to Strategy Analytics.

　　Qualcomm, Apple, MediaTek, Samsung Electronics and Spreadtrum Communications grabbed the top-five revenue share spots in the smartphone AP market in the third quarter of 2013, said Strategy Analytics. Qualcomm continued its lead in the market with a 53% share, followed by Apple with an 18% share and MediaTek with 10%.

　　"Qualcomm continued its lead in smartphone application processors. The latest Snapdragon 800 family of chips gained strong traction in second-half flagship smartphones from Samsung, LG, Sony, Xiaomi and others," said Stuart Robinson, director of Strategy Analytics' handset component technologies service.

　　Strategy Analytics senior analyst Sravan Kundojjala commented that "Samsung's Exynos 5 Octa so far has not attained the same level of success as its predecessor, the Exynos 4 Quad. Strategy Analytics believes that Samsung's latest LTE-integrated Exynos chip, which started shipping from third-quarter 2013, can enable Samsung to go after the high-volume mid-range market in 2014 and thus regain some volume share."

　　In the tablet AP market, Apple maintained its dominance with a 40% market share, followed by Qualcomm with a 13% share and Intel with 8%, according to Strategy Analytics.

　　Qualcomm rose to the number two position in tablet applications processors in the third quarter.

　　"Qualcomm rose to the number two position in tablet application processors in third-quarter 2013 in revenue terms, thanks to its Google Nexus 7 2013 and Amazon Kindle Fire HDX design-wins. This is quite a dramatic change in position as the company hadn't even made it to the top-five just two quarters ago," Kundojjala indicated.

　　"The non-Apple tablet application processor market leadership continues to be a game of musical chairs and we have seen Nvidia, Samsung and Texas Instruments taking the lead at some time in the past few years," Kundojjala continued. "Companies are extremely reliant on their latest design wins and Strategy Analytics is advising chip vendors that these dynamics pose a challenge and an opportunity for them in the non-Apple tablet applications processor market."