Four in every five smartphone users consider the smartphone chipset as the heart and brain of the phone: CMR

Prabhu Ram, Head - Industry Intelligence Group

June 5, 2023

Around three in every four smartphone users believe that chipset brand is important. MediaTek is a top-preferred chipset with a score of 58 out of 100.
83% of smartphone users plan to purchase a 5G-enabled smartphone.
Around 50% of smartphone users who are aware of foldable smartphones are interested in making it their next device.

5 June, 2023 | NEW DELHI. As per a new consumer survey from CyberMedia Research (CMR), a leading Indian technology market research and advisory firm, 81% of Indiansmartphone users are aware of the importance of chipsets in smartphones. This awareness extends beyond just tech-savvy individuals, indicating a broader understanding of the importance of chipsets among Indian smartphone users.

According to Surachita Deb Sharma, Analyst-Industry Consulting Group (ICG), CyberMedia Research (CMR), “As smartphone users spend more time online on content creation, content consumption and gaming use cases, they increasingly seek smartphones that deliver on superlative gaming and imaging experiences. There is a growing recognition among consumers that the smartphone chipset is crucial in driving these experiences. This is where chipset brands are striving to meet consumer aspirations and expectations.”

When it comes to chipset preference, three brands stand out as equally popular among users: MediaTek, Qualcomm and Apple, each receiving a ranking score of 58 out of 100. The primary reason for users’ preference towards these brands is their reputation for delivering enhanced overall device performance, as well as gaming and imaging experience.

In the smartphone chipset landscape, MediaTek has experienced notable growth in terms of market share. According to the CMR India Mobile Handset Market Report, MediaTek captured a significant 48% share of the smartphone market in Q1 2023. This rise in market share is accompanied by an increasing consumer awareness and interest. For instance, around 72% of consumers know that MediaTek powers various smart devices. 68% of users are aware that MediaTek also powers foldable smartphones, and a large majority (83%) of them are interested in buying such devices in the future.

The role of chipsets becomes important in enabling new emerging form factors, such as foldable smartphones, as well as supporting other smart devices, including AR/VR, and automotive.

When it comes to foldable phones, a significant 79% of smartphone users surveyed are familiar with the concept of foldable smartphones. Among this group, around 50% have shown interest in choosing a foldable smartphone as their next device. Consumers are primarily motivated by the advantages of a large screen size (84%), improved portability (81%), and the ability to multitask (80%) when considering foldable smartphones.

Here are some other major survey findings:

Currently, 31% of smartphone users surveyed own a 5G-capable smartphone.
- 83% of users plan to consider a 5G-enabled smartphone for their next purchase.
Around 6 in 7 smartphone users utilize their smartphones for content creation.

When capturing videos or photos, fast uploading (71%) is considered the most important aspect, followed by enhanced storage capacity (67%) and a fast network connection (65%).

Around 5 in 6 smartphone users play games on their smartphones for stress relief (44%) and leisure (41%), and, often immersing themselves in another character (26%).

Sports games are the most preferred (53%), followed by action/adventure games (51%) among gamers.

Battery life is crucial for seven out of eight gamers when playing games on their smartphones.

About the Survey

The survey was conducted across the top six cities of India, namely, New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad. The study covered 1206 smartphone users in the age groups of 18 to 50.

For results based on a randomly chosen sample of this size, there is 95% confidence that the results have a statistical precision of plus or minus 3% of what they would be if the entire population had been surveyed.