TSMC occupies nearly 70% of the smartphone chip market in 2022Q1
The cost of the current top wafer fabs is already very high, which makes it difficult for the latecomers to catch up with the market leaders. The advanced process technology of 7nm or below currently used to manufacture smartphone chips is monopolized by TSMC and Samsung.
According to a report by Counterpoint Research, global smartphone chip (SoC/AP + baseband) shipments in Q1 2022 fell by 5% year-on-year due to seasonal adjustments, weak market demand, and high shipments in Q4 2021, and production due to COVID-19 and logistics issues, etc. While shipments fell, revenue was offset by strong sales growth, reflecting a general shift in smartphone chips to more expensive 5G networks. According to the survey data, the global smartphone chip sales revenue in the first quarter of 2022 increased by 23% year-on-year.