Data from Sigmaintell indicates that global smartphone System-on-Chip (SoC) shipments totaled approximately 290 million units in the first quarter of 2026, representing a year-on-year decline of about 4.0%. The impact was most pronounced in the mid-to-low-end market segment, which targets price-sensitive consumers. Rising terminal production costs, driven by the ongoing wave of memory chip price increases stemming from AI server demand since the second half of 2025, have suppressed consumer demand. This has led brands to reduce inventory and chip procurement, with sales in the budget smartphone segment experiencing a particularly notable decline.
A divergence in performance is evident among manufacturers. Traditional chip giants are facing growth challenges. According to Sigmaintell data, shipments from leading manufacturers MediaTek and Qualcomm both showed a downward trend year-on-year in Q1. MediaTek's smartphone SoC shipments were approximately 97 million units, while Qualcomm's were around 71 million units, representing declines of about 18% and 7%, respectively.
In stark contrast, manufacturers with in-house chip design capabilities have seen their shipments rise against the market trend, showcasing their core competitive advantages. This contrast not only highlights the competitive edge of in-house chips but also demonstrates that proprietary R&D capability has become a crucial support for manufacturers to withstand market volatility and achieve growth during periods of fluctuation, laying the groundwork for sustained shipment increases.
The counter-trend growth in shipments of in-house chips represents a concentrated release of their comprehensive core competitive advantages. Shipment data from the three major in-house chip manufacturers—Apple, Samsung, and Huawei—directly corroborates this core logic, with each achieving growth breakthroughs in different dimensions leveraging their respective differentiated strengths.
Apple, a benchmark for in-house chip design, achieved stable growth against the backdrop of an overall industry decline. According to Sigmaintell statistics, its smartphone chip shipments reached approximately 53 million units in Q1, a year-on-year increase of about 17.8%. The core advantages underpinning this growth lie in the deep integration of its in-house chips with premium models, the synergistic empowerment of its closed ecosystem, and the autonomy over cost control. Apple's chips are precisely tailored to meet the core performance and experience demands of high-end users, seamlessly协同 with the iOS system to create a differentiated user experience. Simultaneously, by autonomously controlling the R&D, production, and supply节奏, Apple effectively mitigates cost pressures arising from memory price hikes, driving steady shipment growth.
Samsung's Exynos chips have maintained their shipment baseline amid the industry downturn by leveraging the dual advantages of in-house chip design and a comprehensive industry chain. Its smartphone chip shipments reached 21 million units in Q1 2026, a year-on-year increase of approximately 11%. The strong performance of the Galaxy S26 series also contributed positively to Exynos shipments. As a manufacturer with capabilities spanning chip design, manufacturing, and packaging/testing, Samsung's in-house chips are perfectly tailored for its own终端 products. Furthermore,协同 with its own foundry business helps balance the cost pressures from rising memory prices, effectively resisting market volatility and highlighting the risk-resistant advantage of in-house chips.
Huawei's终端, utilizing HiSilicon chips, has also demonstrated explosive growth momentum. Its smartphone SoC shipments reached 16 million units in Q1, a year-on-year surge of 60%. Behind this growth lies HiSilicon's profound technological积累,全链条 deep integration with终端 products, and协同 efforts across the upstream and downstream supply chain. HiSilicon chips achieve customized adaptation with Huawei terminals, maximizing chip performance and power efficiency from the hardware底层 to software optimization, thereby building a closed-loop barrier encompassing "chip-terminal-ecosystem." Concurrently, leveraging supply chain协同 to hedge cost pressures, combined with Huawei's stable positioning in the high-end market, has driven跨越式 growth in chip shipments.
Sigmaintell believes that in an environment of overall weak demand and high costs, in-house chips are no longer merely a象征 of technological prowess but have become a key strategic asset for manufacturers to withstand market fluctuations, control core costs, and build differentiated moats. The持续攀升 of the shipment share for in-house chips预示着 a further increase in industry competition barriers.
Sigmaintell indicates that for traditional chip design companies like Qualcomm, MediaTek, and Unisoc, pressure from declining demand in their primary smartphone battlefield will intensify further. Actively expanding diversified布局 into non-smartphone business areas such as the Internet of Things (IoT), automotive electronics, and AIoT will become a core strategy for them to应对 industry cyclical risks and寻找 new growth curves.
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