Counterpoint: Global smartphone chipset shipments down 15% in first half of 2026

Smartphone shipments have been on the decline for the past few months as the ongoing memory chip shortage continues to plague OEMs. And as you can imagine, other components are getting hit too. Take smartphone chipsets, for example. According to the latest Counterpoint Research report, global smartphone chipset shipments have declined by 15% during the first half of 2026.

The two biggest players – Qualcomm and MediaTek have been hit the worst, with an estimated 25% decline in SoC shipments compared to H1 2025. For Qualcomm, the flagship Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 model and the rest of its premium options saw limited growth. In MediaTek’s case, the low-end 5G chips took a plunge while the flagship Dimensity 9500 series performed better.

On the other side, Apple, Unisoc and Samsung have all increased their SoC shipments. For Apple, the iPhone 17 series demand was enough to help bolster demand for the A19 and A19 Pro chipsets. Counterpoint analysts outline a noticeable shift from 5G MediaTek chips to 4G Unisoc ones in entry-level smartphones. Additional partnerships with Xiaomi for Redmi and Poco smartphones are also driving Unisoc’s rise.

Looking ahead, Counterpoint estimates that smartphone chipsets will decline by 14% for the year, with SoC shipments in the entry-level market falling by as much as 30% on a yearly basis. Memory chip prices are not expected to normalize before H2, 2027.

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