Core Viewpoint - Major Chinese smartphone manufacturers, including Huawei, Xiaomi, OPPO, vivo, and Honor, are planning to adjust their chip strategies between 2026 and 2027 by gradually reducing or even stopping the use of Qualcomm Snapdragon platforms in favor of increasing the adoption of MediaTek Dimensity series processors [1][4]. Group 1: Chip Strategy Transition - Chinese smartphone manufacturers are shifting from reliance on a single supplier to a dual-track parallel chip strategy, driven by risk mitigation and cost control [4]. - Currently, Huawei has largely transitioned to its own Kirin chip solutions, while Xiaomi, OPPO, vivo, and Honor are adopting a "Qualcomm + MediaTek" dual-supplier strategy to effectively disperse supply chain risks [4]. - OPPO's Find X series flagship models are available with both Snapdragon and Dimensity chip versions, allowing market performance and user feedback to guide future product directions [4]. Group 2: Cost Pressures - The direct driver for smartphone manufacturers adjusting their chip strategies is the ongoing rise in costs, particularly the increasing prices of Qualcomm's flagship chips [5]. - The latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip has a procurement cost of $280, accounting for 25% to 35% of the material costs of high-end smartphones, significantly squeezing overall profit margins [6]. - Storage chip prices are also rising, with industry analysts estimating that the material costs for high-end smartphones could increase by over 40% by 2026 compared to three years ago, while terminal prices may not rise correspondingly [7]. Group 3: MediaTek's Competitive Position - MediaTek's ability to gain favor among manufacturers is primarily due to its significant improvement in technical capabilities, with the Dimensity series now competing directly with Qualcomm's flagship chips in terms of performance and power consumption [8]. - Since the launch of the Dimensity 9000 series, MediaTek's sustained investment in high-end chip development has begun to yield results, with the latest Dimensity 9500 mobile platform receiving market recognition [9]. - OPPO Find X9, Find X9 Pro, and vivo X300, X300 Pro flagship models are now equipped with the Dimensity 9500 platform, indicating that MediaTek chips are no longer exclusive to mid-range models [9]. Group 4: Market Restructuring - The competitive landscape of the smartphone chip market is undergoing structural changes, with MediaTek's increasing market share in the high-end segment redefining the market dynamics [10]. - Industry forecasts suggest that by 2026, MediaTek's share in the global high-end smartphone chip market could rise from less than 20% to over 30%, posing more challenges to Qualcomm's market dominance [11]. - The dual-platform strategy is expected to become a standard configuration for mainstream smartphone manufacturers, allowing for flexible chip platform allocation across different product series and price points, maximizing market coverage while reducing supply chain risks [12]. Group 5: Consumer Impact - For consumers, this shift means a wider range of product choices, with smartphones featuring different chip platforms offering differentiated performance, pricing, and unique features, thereby driving technological innovation across the industry [13]. - As Huawei returns to self-developed chips and other manufacturers seek a balance between price and technology, flagship smartphones will increasingly feature MediaTek Dimensity chips, changing consumer selection criteria [13].