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MediaTek Strengthens Premium Push With Gen AI Capabilities

The Dimensity 9300 is integrated with the 7th-gen APU 790 processor, which supports a broad generative AI ecosystem and models including Meta Llama 2, Baidu ERNIE 3.5 SE and Baichuan 2.
It can run with 13 billion parameters, which are scalable up to 33 billion, on-device at a processing speed of up to 20 tokens per second.
The Dimensity 9300 will debut with the vivo X100 smartphone in mid-November

MediaTek recently launched its third-generation premium chipset Dimensity 9300. The company has emerged as a strong competitor in the premium smartphone chipset market after launching the Dimensity 9000 in Q1 2022. Currently, MediaTek leads the low-mid segment and drives significant volumes both for 4G and 5G in this tier.
Adopting a non-traditional CPU core design, the Dimensity 9300 focuses on raw performance. It has four large cores (Cortex-X4) and four performance cores (Cortex-A720 cores), thus enabling it to excel in raw computing power and advanced AI capabilities.

Dimensity 9300 key specifications

Like the last two generations, the Dimensity 9300 SoC is built on a TSMC 4nm process node. It is more efficient and performs better than the Dimensity 9200. There is a 40% improvement in the multi-core performance and a 15% improvement in the single-core performance. The Dimensity 9300 combines an octa-core CPU with the company’s second-generation hardware raytracing engine, enabling smartphones to achieve console-level global illumination effects at a smooth 60 FPS. Besides, the chipset supports seamless multitasking, allowing users to simultaneously play games and stream videos or watch a video while gaming.

Four ARM Cortex-X4 CPU. Prime core clocked at up to 3.25GHz
Four ARM Cortex-A720 CPU clocked at up to 2.0GHz

7th-gen APU 790 processor

The chip is equipped with MediaTek’s next-generation APU 790 processor, which reduces power consumption by 45% while improving performance. Its processing speed is eight times that of the APU 690. It also offers significant improvements in generative AI performance and energy efficiency for edge computing. The APU 790 is specifically designed for generative AI tasks, marking a substantial upgrade over its predecessor. It accelerates processing through the Transformer model and supports image generation within one second using Stable Diffusion. The APU 790 also supports large language models with up to 33 billion parameters. MediaTek has also implemented mixed-precision INT4 quantization technology and NeuroPilot memory hardware compression to optimize memory usage for large AI models.

The Dimensity 9300 has a strong AI generative ecosystem, which supports language models like Llama 2, Baichuan 2 and Baidu AI LLM. It helps developers to efficiently deploy multi-modal generative AI applications for users.

Immortalis-G720 GPU

With the integration of ARM’s latest GPU, the Immortalis-G720, the Dimensity 9300 offers almost a 46% boost in GPU performance and 40% power reduction compared to the Dimensity 9200.

The Dimensity 9300 chipset supports the new Ultra HDR format in Android 14, improving mobile photography with vibrant images and compatible JPEG files. It also offers ambient light adaptive HDR recovery technology for enhanced photography. It supports 100% pixel-level autofocus, dual lossless zoom and 3-microphone HDR audio recording.

The chipset’s display system is equipped with the MiraVision Picture Quality (PQ) engine which dynamically adjusts the contrast, sharpness and color of primary objects, resulting in lifelike video experiences similar to high-end TVs. It uses on-device AI to detect primary objects and background images in real time.

Enhanced connectivity

The Dimensity 9300 offers Wi-Fi 7 speeds up to 6.5 Gbps and improved long-range connectivity with Xtra Range 2.0 Technology. It also enhances smartphone tethering speeds by up to three times using Multi-Link Hotspot technology. The Dimensity 9300 also supports up to three Bluetooth antennas and features dual Bluetooth flash connection technology for an ultra-low latency Bluetooth audio experience.

DRAM support and security

The Dimensity 9300 is the first SoC that supports the LPDDR5T up to 9600 Mbps. Also, it integrates two SUPs, one for boot security and one for computing security.

Dimensity 9300 vs Snapdragon 8 Gen 3

In terms of specifications, the Dimensity 9300 uses all big core architecture 4 prime cores (Cortex-X4) and 4 big cores (Cortex-A720), whereas the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 uses one prime (Cortex-X4), five big (Cortex-A720) and two small cores (Cortex-A520). MediaTek with its all-big core design is addressing generative AI and gaming applications. On paper, the Dimensity 9300’s AI performance is competitive. The Dimensity 9300 supports large language models that can run with 13 billion parameters, whereas the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 can run with 10 billion parameters on-device.

The fact that MediaTek now offers performance and efficiency gains that are comparable to Qualcomm’s latest-generation flagship offerings, shows MediaTek wants to directly compete with Qualcomm in the premium segment. Overall, this is going to be a win-win for the industry, as it will raise the bar and, in turn, benefit the end users.

Expected timeline

The vivo X100 will be the first smartphone to carry the Dimensity 9300 chipset. It will be available in the market by the end of 2023. We expect that the Dimensity 9300 will have better adoption among Chinese OEMs compared to the Dimensity 9200. China will be the first target market for smartphones with the Dimensity 9300, followed by India, SEA and Europe.

European EV Market Grew 16% in Q2 2022 led by Mercedes

Mercedes-Benz overtook Volkswagen to become the top-selling EV brand in Europe.
Germany leads the European market with 28% market share.
The top 10 EV models accounted for almost one-fourth of EV sales in Q2 2022.

New Delhi, London, Beijing, San Diego, Buenos Aires, Hong Kong, Seoul – October 10, 2022

Europe’s passenger electric vehicle (EV) sales* increased 16% YoY in Q2 2022, according to the latest research from Counterpoint’s Global Passenger Electric Vehicle Model Sales Tracker. Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) accounted for 55% of total EV sales during the quarter. Germany, with a 28% share, remained the European EV market leader, followed by France with 16% and the UK with 14%. Among other European nations, Spain and the Netherlands were the fastest growing EV markets, nearly doubling their sales on a YoY basis. However, Norway had the highest EV sales penetration (85%) among European countries and also globally.

Commenting on the market dynamics, Vice President of Research Peter Richardson said, “Europe’s automotive market has been hit by a series of events. The supply chain disruption due to the Russia-Ukraine war had a serious negative impact. The supply crunch of vehicle wiring harnesses and other important components, together with a lack of critical raw materials, forced automakers across Europe, especially in Germany and the UK, to cut vehicle production for several weeks. Moreover, to show solidarity with Ukraine, most automakers halted their businesses in Russia, further hurting sales performance during Q2. Additionally, rising inflation and currency devaluations have pushed raw material costs higher.”

Market Summary

The top five brands accounted for only 36% of the total EV sales across Europe in Q2 2022. Europe is one of the most competitive EV markets where OEMs must fight hard for relatively small market shares. This ensures that most OEMs have similar market shares with a difference of only a few points.

Mercedes-Benz
Leading the pack, Mercedes-Benz accounted for around 9.2% of the total EV sales across Europe during the quarter. Last year, the company announced it would stop the development of internal combustion engines and strengthen its focus on electrification instead. Although the company had the highest number of EV sales across Europe, BEV sales accounted for only 28% of its total EV sales. The company’s present portfolio is strong. Its plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) models include the GLC-Class, GLE-Class and C-Class, while its top-selling BEV models are the EQA, EQB, and EQE.

BMW
BMW, an early adopter of electrification, was the second-best selling EV brand in Europe in Q2 2022. BMW had a 9.1% share of the EV market in Europe during the period. The PHEV segment accounted for 71% of the company’s total EV sales. The BMW X series and the BMW 3 series cars dominated the PHEV segment, while the company’s i-Series models, namely the iX, i4 and i3, were the flagbearers of its BEV segment.

Volkswagen
Among European OEMs, Volkswagen was hurt the most from the Russia-Ukraine war. Supply chain disruptions and component shortages reduced the company’s sales by 44% YoY during Q2 2022. Volkswagen, one of the largest auto OEMs, was able to secure just 6.2% of Europe EV sales during the quarter. The company is betting on its ID series cars to dominate the EV market. Presently, 64% of EVs sold by Volkswagen are from the ID series alone.

Among other brands, Tesla’s performance fell short of expectations even though its Berlin Gigafactory started production in March 2022. Tesla sales in Europe fell 51% YoY during Q2 2022 mainly due to production halts at its China operations in April and May, stemming from supply issues and restrictions related to the pandemic. A major proportion of Tesla cars sold in Europe is imported from China.

Source: Global Passenger Electric Vehicle Model Sales Tracker: Q1 2018 – Q2 2022

Commenting on the EV ecosystem development, Research Vice President Neil Shah said, “Europe is one of the more mature EV markets. EV sales in Europe have gained traction, thus incentives and subsidies related to EV sales have reduced to almost nil in most European nations. Presently, Europe is looking to strengthen its charging infrastructure and battery recycling ecosystem. A strong charging infrastructure network is likely to boost EV penetration. Among European nations, the Netherlands has the highest density of EV charging stations. Alongside governments, private players, such as Webasto, Free2Move, EVBox, Shell and BP, are teaming up with OEMs to set up a network of charging stations across Europe.”

Shah added, “Apart from developing a strong network of charging stations, the rising demand for EVs is leading to the rise of battery recycling plants. Battery recycling plants are necessary to control e-waste and to recycle valuable metals that can be used in new batteries.”

Source: Global Passenger Electric Vehicle Model Sales Tracker: Q1 2018 – Q2 2022

The top 10 EV models in Europe contributed to around 23% of the EV market in Q2 2022. Bestsellers were the Fiat 500, followed by the Tesla Model Y and Peugeot 208. In the year-ago quarter, none of these EVs were among the top five. The change in the market was due to multiple production shutdowns and delays in shipments faced by OEMs. In 2021, the top-selling EV models were the Renault ZOE, Volkswagen ID.4 and Skoda Enyaq iV. In Q2 2022, eight out of the top 10 EV models sold in Europe were BEVs.

Commenting on the market outlook, Associate Director Mohit Agrawal said, “EV sales are expected to exceed 2.5 million units by the end of 2022, according to Counterpoint’s Global Passenger Vehicle Forecast. The market is expected to be slow due to component shortages, economic turmoil and geopolitical tensions. Still, one in every five cars sold in Europe will likely be an EV by the end of this year. In 2021, EV sales in Europe accounted for 15% of total passenger vehicle sales.”

*Sales here refer to wholesale figures, i.e. deliveries out of factories by respective brands/companies.

*Under electric vehicles (EVs), we are considering only battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). Hybrid electric vehicles and fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) are not included in this study.

The comprehensive and in-depth ‘Global Electric Passenger Vehicle Sales Tracker, Q1 2018-Q2 2022’ is now available for purchase at report.counterpointresearch.com.

Feel free to reach us at press@counterpointresearch.com for questions regarding our latest research and insights.

Background

Counterpoint Technology Market Research is a global research firm specializing in products in the technology, media and telecom (TMT) industry. It services major technology and financial firms with a mix of monthly reports, customized projects and detailed analyses of the mobile and technology markets. Its key analysts are seasoned experts in the high-tech industry.

Analyst Contacts

Soumen Mandal

Neil Shah

Peter Richardson

Counterpoint Research

press@counterpointresearch.com

Related Reports:

Android Smartphone SoC Market: MediaTek Leads in Low-Mid Tiers, Qualcomm in Upper

The global Android smartphone AP (Application Processor)/SoC (System on Chip) sales grew 3.6% YoY in 2021, according to the latest research from Counterpoint’s Global Handset Model Sales Tracker. MediaTek led the Android smartphone SoC market in 2021 with a 46% share, followed by Qualcomm with 35%. Most of the market share growth for MediaTek in 2021 came from the low-mid tier wholesale price segment (sub-$299), driven by strong demand for the Dimensity 700/800 series chipsets.

Qualcomm struggled with a tight supply throughout the year for its mid-tier solutions. The shift in focus away from 4G SoCs also didn’t help. However, in the high value $300+ segment, Qualcomm continued to dominate with its Snapdragon 7 and 8 series. The number of design wins for Qualcomm in the $399+ Android smartphones continued to climb not only for chipsets (AP/SoC) but also for RFFE (RF Front End) components, allowing it to capture a higher BoM (Bill of Materials) share and boost both its top and bottom lines.

AP Chipset Share for Android Smartphones by Price Band (%) in 2021

Qualcomm

With a supply crunch since the previous year, Qualcomm prioritized focus on ramping up supply for its 7 and 8 series Snapdragon chipsets, driving higher revenue and profitability.
Qualcomm is also in a very unique position to further make inroads into the premium Android smartphone market by supplying a leading-edge RFFE portfolio and other components such as ultrasonic fingerprint sensor and quick charge.
Qualcomm continued its domination of the mid-high ($300-$499) smartphone segment in 2021 with a 65% share, up from 53% in 2020. The Snapdragon 870, 720G, 750G and 778G were the key volume-driver chipsets for Qualcomm in this segment.
Qualcomm’s share in smartphones priced above $500 increased from 41% in 2020 to 55% in 2021 owing to the launch of flagships Snapdragon 888 and 8Gen 1.
The Snapdragon 8 series sets an industry benchmark when it comes to delivering premium flagship-grade smartphone experiences. It is the default choice for any smartphone OEM’s flagship series.
Qualcomm is generations ahead of its competition when it comes to premium experiences in a chipset, whether it is compute (CPU, DSP, GPU), AI (NPU), connectivity (4G, 5G sub-6GHz, 5G mmWave, Wi-Fi6/6E), security, or gaming capabilities. Besides, the highly optimized RFFE components are key to delivering advanced connectivity experiences, making it a system-level opportunity for Qualcomm.
Moving forward, dual sourcing of premium solutions from foundry will be the key to alleviating +any concerns over chipset shortages.

MediaTek

MediaTek’s growth came from smartphones priced less than $299 (wholesale price). MediaTek’s growth was driven by both LTE and 5G SoCs across this price band.
The volume in the ≤$99 price band was driven by LTE smartphones, where MediaTek captured a 62% share. LTE SoCs were most affected by the shortages in 2021, both for MediaTek and Qualcomm.
In Android smartphones in the $100-$299 price band, MediaTek dominated the market with a 52% share. This is where the Dimensity 700 and 800 drove the mass-market adoption of 5G smartphones in markets such as China, India and parts of the US and Europe. This allowed brands such as realme, Xiaomi, OPPO and vivo to launch 5G phones at price points below the $200 retail price.
The Dimensity 1100/1200 helped MediaTek increase share in the $300-$499 price band, where it captured a 24% volume share in 2021, compared to 6% in 2020.
Further, with the launch of the Dimensity 8100/8000, it is looking to strengthen its position in the $300-$499 price band. These chipsets support the R16 baseband with power efficiency and performance improvements. With the Dimensity 9000, MediaTek is looking to enter the premium segment ($500+) in 2022. Almost all Chinese smartphone OEMs, like OPPO, vivo, Xiaomi and HONOR, will launch phones with this chipset. According to our chipset tracker forecast, MediaTek is likely to capture around 10% of the premium smartphone segment.

Samsung

Samsung SOCs witnessed a decline in all smartphone price segments in 2021 compared to the previous year.
Drastic changes were seen in the low-mid segment ($100-$299), where its share decreased from 17% to 7%, and in the mid-high segment, where its share decreased from 13% in 2020 to 6% in 2021, as Samsung Mobile outsourced many of its models (A, F and M series) to ODMs which integrated mostly Qualcomm, MediaTek or Unisoc solutions in different models depending on target price bands. The lack of refreshes in the Exynos series SoCs for the mid-to-high tiers was a trigger for the ODM move. The absence of the Note series and Qualcomm’s design wins across the popular Samsung foldables led to further decline of the Exynos chipsets.
With the Galaxy S22 series, Qualcomm has a greater proportion of design wins across markets than before, thanks to its industry-leading offerings and also the low yields of the new premium Exynos chipsets.

UNISOC

UNISOC showed exciting growth in 2021 in smartphones priced less than $200. In 2020, UNISOC chipsets only catered to phones priced under $100. In 2021, realme, HONOR, Motorola and Samsung launched phones with the Tiger series SoC. UNISOC has expanded its customer base with design wins at ZTE and TECNO, and entry into the Samsung Galaxy A series.
UNISOC captured a 26% share in the ≤$99 band in 2021, followed by a 4% share in the $100-$199 price band.
For 2022, we expect UNISOC to maintain the momentum with its portfolio catering to LTE smartphones as MediaTek struggles with supply issues for 4G chipsets and Qualcomm focuses just on 5G solutions. Also, a few design wins with 5G chipsets will add to the overall volumes.

HiSilicon

HiSilicon’s SoCs had a 16% share in phones costing $500 and above in 2021, which was a decline from the 30% share in the previous year, due to the US trade ban. It is running on the inventory it added before the ban.
For 2022, we expect its volumes to drop as the inventory gets depleted. Huawei has already started using Qualcomm SoCs in its new launches, but they are limited to 4G.

Top 10 Automotive Announcements in CES 2020

The Consumer Electronics Show (CES), one of the largest global platforms to showcase consumer electronics technologies and innovation, was held in Las Vegas, USA, this year from 6th to 10th January.

Over the past few years, CES has been incorporating more and more automotive players and technologies. With the growing emergence of connected vehicles with cellular communication and the emergence of 5G playing an increasing role for vehicles to share information to support and safeguard automotive applications, the overlap of consumer electronics and automotive industries is inevitable.

Counterpoint analysts’ top 10 automotive-related announcements from this year’s CES:

1. Sony unveiled its concept Vision-S electric car

In association with NVIDIA, HERE, Continental, BlackBerry, Gentex, Magna, Electrobit, ZF and Benteler, Sony showcased its first-ever concept car, the Vision-S. The 268 bhp car has 33 embedded safety sensors. BlackBerry QNX is providing dashboard software for this concept electric car. While there were no immediate plans to mass-produce the Vision-S, it was used to demonstrate Sony’s capabilities and vision in sensors, AI, infotainment and user interfaces for automotive applications. With the increased digitalization of the automotive industry, electronics players like Sony are going beyond infotainment to focus on growth opportunities in multiple lucrative sectors, such as ADAS components.

2. Uber and Hyundai team up to offer flying car services from 2023

Uber and Hyundai have partnered to provide electric flying car services, from 2023. The flying car will be able to travel at 180 mph with a range of up to 60 miles. Counterpoint believes that commercial flying car services are at least a decade away from reality. While exciting considerable interest, any prospect of commercial reality will be hampered by massive regulatory hurdles.

3. LG in partnership with Microsoft to develop autonomous driving and infotainment systems

LG has formed a strategic partnership with Microsoft to combine its in-vehicle infotainment platform – webOS Auto, with the cloud-based Microsoft Connected Vehicle Platform (MCVP) to offer improved connected services, including audio and streaming. Both companies have also partnered in developing autonomous driving software. LG is looking to leverage the AI expertise of Microsoft to improve its ADAS, Driver-Status Monitoring Camera (DSM) and Multi-Purpose Front Camera products.

4. Verizon collaborating with HERE to provide better-connected vehicle services

Verizon and HERE have signed a multi-year partnership to develop new connected services. Verizon will provide its 5G Ultra Wideband network and multi-access edge compute (MEC) platform and HERE will allow Verizon access to its location data, Software Development Kits (SDKs), and Application Programming Interface. This collaboration of Verizon and HERE will help Verizon improve its 3D positioning algorithms with 5G Ultra-Wideband and 5G Edge. HERE will also be able to upgrade its location ecosystem in real-time wherever the higher bandwidth from Verizon is available. This partnership is an attempt to establish enhanced integrated connected vehicle platforms, offering lower latency and more precise location systems.

5. Qualcomm launches a new autonomous driving platform

Qualcomm has announced it’s entering the Autonomous Vehicle (AV) arena with the unveiling of its AV platform, Snapdragon Ride, focused on advance Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything (C-V2X) communication. Though a late entrant in the AV space, Qualcomm with its vast experience in smartphone technology, will prove to be a significant partner to automakers. General Motor (GM) has already announced installing Snapdragon Ride in its cars. Production versions of Snapdragon Ride fitted cars will start from 2023. This platform from Qualcomm is expected to give strong competition to current autonomous driving players NVIDIA, Intel, and Microsoft.

6. Toyota plans to build a smart city from 2021

Toyota has announced plans to build ‘Woven City’, a 71 hectares smart city at Mount Fuji, 60 miles from Tokyo, by 2021. Toyota is among the first large global automakers to enter into the smart city business race. Toyota will use this city to test emerging automotive technologies such as fuel cells and autonomous driving. Toyota will, possibly, also explore its proposed electric flying car service, fulfilling its aspiration to be the pioneer in the category.

7. Intel demonstrates autonomous vehicles equipped only with cameras, no other sensors

Intel’s subsidiary, Mobileye, showed an AV equipped with 12 cameras but no other sensors. The EyeQ5 chip creates a 3D model, by processing 2D images, to sense the environment. Using full-stack camera systems to improve computer vision, Intel is aiming to reduce the Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF) of its sensing system leading to violation of its safety standards to 10-4 and ultimately to 10-7 – equivalent to driving for 10 million hours without a safety-critical error. By using camera-based sensors, while foregoing LiDAR and radar, Mobileye believes it can reduce the cost of autonomous vehicle development as well as potentially speed up development. However, it will take considerable testing to prove such alternate surround vision systems can comply with regulatory and public safety authorities/standards – this, therefore, is another focus area.

8. Quectel announced 5G automotive module

Quectel announced developing 5G automotive modules AG550Q – a 5G, Sub-6GHz module, AG215S – an automotive Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) module dedicated to C-V2X, and AF50T- a Wi-Fi module. An early entry in 5G module production can give Quectel an advantage over other module players. Quectel’s partnership with Qualcomm will also help it offer advanced connectivity modules to OEMs and tier 1 suppliers.

9. Amazon integrating new services in Alexa Auto

Looking to further its partnership with automakers, Amazon announced adding new features like Amazon Pay, and Fire TV in Alexa Auto. BMW and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles will be among the first automakers to offer Fire TV integrated with Alexa Auto in their vehicles. The automotive voice assistant feature is currently dominated by embedded iOS CarPlay and Android Auto platforms. Amazon is working with system integrators and software providers like Bosch, HERE, MELCO, Telenav and TomTom for a seamless embedded voice-assistant based in-vehicle navigation experience. Lamborghini and Rivian have also announced integrating Alexa Auto in their forthcoming vehicles.

10. Google showcased improved Android Auto with integrated Google Assistant

Google announced the integration of Google Assistant to its existing Android Auto product portfolio. Google is partnering with Volvo and BMW to market these new features. Information from Android Auto can be projected to a head-up display (HUD) with this new version of Android Auto. Google’s Android Auto will face strong competition from Apple CarPlay and Amazon Alexa as each looks to exert influence on the automotive cockpit.

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Insights Tag： Qualcomm Snapdragon

MediaTek Strengthens Premium Push With Gen AI Capabilities

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