49% Growth: Huawei HiSilicon’s Kirin SoCs Surpasses Google in Revenue in Q1Y24

Huawei's HiSilicon's division witnessed a remarkable surge in Q1 2024, with 8 million Kirin chipsets shipped, generating $6 billion in revenue.

Introduction

Huawei’s HiSilicon’s division, known for its Kirin chipsets, is showing notable signs of recovery in the competitive smartphone chipset market.

According to data from Canalys, HiSilicon shipped 8 million Kirin units in the first quarter (Q1) of 2024, generating a substantial $6 billion in revenue.

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Background on HiSilicon’s Kirin Chipsets

HiSilicon, a semiconductor company owned by Huawei, develops the Kirin series of chipsets.

These chipsets are integral to Huawei’s smartphones and other devices, offering competitive performance and efficiency.

TheHiSilicon’s Kirin brand has been central to Huawei’s strategy of creating high-performance smartphones, which has been crucial for competing with industry leaders like Apple and Samsung.

However, HiSilicon’s Kirin faced significant challenges in recent years due to US sanctions imposed on Huawei.

These sanctions restricted the company’s access to essential technologies and partnerships, leading to a decline in production and shipments.

Despite these obstacles, Huawei has been working to revitalize its semiconductor business and regain market share.

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Significant Growth Amid Stiff Competition

Image Credits: GizmoChina

This performance marks a significant improvement compared to previous quarters, highlighting Huawei’s efforts to regain its foothold in the market.

Despite these gains, Huawei still trails behind industry giants like Samsung, MediaTek, Qualcomm, and Apple.

However, the company managed to surpass Google’s chipset shipments and revenue in Q1 2024. Google shipped only 2 million of its smartphone SoCs, earning $2 billion in revenue.

Huawei’s HiSilicon’s division witnessed a remarkable surge in Q1 2024, with 8 million Kirin chipsets shipped, generating $6 billion in revenue.

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Market Leaders: Samsung, MediaTek, Qualcomm, and Apple

In the broader market, Samsung and MediaTek continue to dominate. Samsung shipped 18 million units, resulting in $9 billion in revenue.

MediaTek led in terms of volume with a staggering 114 million units shipped, securing $23 billion.

Qualcomm also posted impressive numbers, selling 75 million smartphone SoCs and earning $37 billion in revenue this quarter.

Apple, while still the leader in chipset revenue, experienced a decline compared to the same period last year. The company shipped 49 million units, generating $56 billion, a drop from previous figures.

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Huawei’s Impact and Future Prospects

Huawei’s resurgence, though modest with a 2.7% market share in Q1 2024, is beginning to impact the market dynamics.

Notably, Apple’s revenue and shipment momentum are feeling the pressure from Huawei’s renewed competition.

Looking forward, Huawei is expected to continue its upward trajectory with the anticipated launch of the Mate 70 series in October and the HarmonyOS Next operating system in September.

HarmonyOS, developed in-house, aims to reduce Huawei’s reliance on Google’s Android platform, potentially offering a unique edge in the market.

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Challenges and Strategic Moves

Despite the positive trends, Huawei faces significant challenges in reclaiming its previous market share from established players like Samsung, MediaTek, and Apple.

The company’s strategy includes not only enhancing its hardware offerings but also bolstering its software ecosystem through HarmonyOS.

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The Road Ahead

The chipset market remains fiercely competitive, with every major player striving to innovate and capture more market share.

Huawei’s ability to sustain its growth will depend on multiple factors, including technological advancements, strategic partnerships, and market acceptance of its new products.

As Huawei gears up for the launch of its next-generation devices, industry watchers will be keen to see how the company navigates the competitive landscape and leverages its strengths to carve out a larger share of the market.

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Conclusion

Huawei’s HiSilicon’s Kirin division has made impressive strides in Q1 2024, with its Kirin chipsets showing strong growth.

Surpassing Google in shipments and revenue is a noteworthy achievement, but the road ahead is filled with challenges.

With strategic product launches on the horizon and a focus on reducing dependency on external platforms, Huawei is positioning itself for a potential comeback in the smartphone chipset market.


Kumar Priyadarshi
Kumar Priyadarshi

Kumar Priyadarshi is a prominent figure in the world of technology and semiconductors. With a deep passion for innovation and a keen understanding of the intricacies of the semiconductor industry, Kumar has established himself as a thought leader and expert in the field. He is the founder of Techovedas, India’s first semiconductor and AI tech media company, where he shares insights, analysis, and trends related to the semiconductor and AI industries.

Kumar Joined IISER Pune after qualifying IIT-JEE in 2012. In his 5th year, he travelled to Singapore for his master’s thesis which yielded a Research Paper in ACS Nano. Kumar Joined Global Foundries as a process Engineer in Singapore working at 40 nm Process node. He couldn’t find joy working in the fab and moved to India. Working as a scientist at IIT Bombay as Senior Scientist, Kumar Led the team which built India’s 1st Memory Chip with Semiconductor Lab (SCL)

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