The global smartphone applications processor (AP) market registered a solid 20% year-over-year growth to reach US$5.3 billion in the first quarter of 2015, according to Strategy Analytics.

Qualcomm, Apple, MediaTek, Samsung LSI and Spreadtrum grabbed the top-five revenue spots in the global smartphone AP market in the first quarter of 2015, said Strategy Analytics. Qualcomm led the smartphone AP market with 47% revenue share, followed by Apple with 16% revenue share and MediaTek with 15% revenue share.

"Qualcomm took a hit from a slower adoption of its flagship Snapdragon 810 AP and increased competition. As a result its smartphone AP revenue share dropped to 47% in Q1 2015 from 55% a year ago," noted Sravan Kundojjala, associate director for Strategy Analytics.

"However, Qualcomm, helped by its mid-tier and low-tier Snapdragon 600, 400 and 200 families of chips, managed to register a robust 33% year-over-year shipment growth in Q1 2015," Kundojjala continued.,

"HiSilicon, Intel and Samsung LSI all registered a triple-digit year-over-year shipment growth in the smartphone AP market in Q1 2015," said Stuart Robinson, executive director of Strategy Analytics' handset component technologies service. "Samsung LSI, in particular, capitalized on a strong demand for its 14 nm-based Exynos chips, which featured in Samsung Mobile's Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge smartphones."