Sources say Qualcomm will lower the price of mid-range and entry-level Snapdragon processors next year.

CTOnews.com, December 29 (Xinhua)-- Qualcomm may cut the price of its mid-end and entry-level Snapdragon handset processors, including the Snapdragon 400s and 600s, in 2023, according to market sources quoted by the Taiwan-based Electronic Times.

"it is not clear whether Qualcomm's move will trigger a price war," the source said. in any case, slowing demand in the mid-range and entry-level mobile phone markets and widespread price sensitivity have increased the possibility that mobile phone brands will push Qualcomm and MediaTek to cut prices in the future. "

According to the global smartphone AP (application processor) market report released by market research firm Counterpoint Research in the third quarter of 2022, MediaTek still ranks first in terms of shipments, but its market share has dropped to 35%. Qualcomm, which ranks second, has a market share of 31%, followed by Apple, Zhan Rui and Samsung.

CTOnews.com has learned that global smartphone shipments will fall by 10 per cent in 2022 compared with the same period last year, according to a report released by Strategy Analytics, a market research agency. The downward trajectory will continue into 2023, but the annual growth rate will improve to-5 per cent. Global smartphone shipments will reach their lowest level since 2014. This is a very difficult time for the industry as a whole.