A processor is a crucial part of any electronic device, powering all core operations and handling tasks like data processing. In modern smartphones, several key components, responsible for these operations, are integrated into one unit — a System on a Chip (SoC). An SoC contains the central processing unit (CPU), graphics processing unit (GPU) and other modules. This approach ensures high energy efficiency and significantly improves smartphone performance and user experience.
Problems with mobile processors are critical and result in performance degradation, overheating and hardware crashes. These defects can be detected during mobile device diagnostics. Checking smartphone performance for potential defects is a crucial step for any business operating with pre-owned devices.
Mobile Phone Processors: Statistics
According to Grand View Research, the global System on a Chip market reached $169 billion in 2023.
Counterpoint Research claims that the biggest share (34%) of the market now belongs to MediaTek, a Taiwanese semiconductor company. Its processors are used in Samsung Galaxy A and M series smartphones, some phone models of Xiaomi, OPPO, Vivo and other brands.
The second place (23%) is held by Apple, which manufactures its own SoCs to be used exclusively in the company’s products.
The third (21%) major player on the market is Qualcomm, whose Snapdragon processors are used in Samsung Galaxy S series, Z Fold and Z Flip series smartphones, and some models from Xiaomi, OnePlus, and Motorola.
Among other SoCs manufacturers, UNISOC, Samsung and HiSilicon (owned by Huawei) are honorable mentions.
The Smartphone Processors Trends 2025
The development of the industry is rapid and shows no signs of slowing down. SoC manufacturers are competing for market share, continually releasing improved, more powerful versions of their products.
Let’s have a more detailed look at the current trends shaping the smartphone processor market.
AI Acceleration
As AI and machine learning usage grows, SoCs are expected to perform more complex tasks. Manufacturers are integrating more efficient engines that support IoT applications, intelligent assistants, advanced multimedia processing, etc.
Gaming Optimization
While games are becoming more demanding and putting a heavier load on processors, SoC providers are expected to fight this challenge with more powerful tools. Therefore, they develop mobile phone processors with the support for higher refresh rates, provide enhanced GPU features, and better temperature control.
Supply Chain Diversification
Manufacturers of processors are heavily dependent on semiconductors, crucial components that optimize energy use and allow the production of smaller devices. Up to 70% of the semiconductors produced globally come from Eastern Asia, particularly Taiwan, South Korea and China. Due to political reasons, more businesses seek ways to diversify their suppliers and lower dependence on a single manufacturer in one country.
Improved Efficiency
Battery performance and device longevity significantly influence user experience, so SoC manufacturers focus on designing processors that optimize power consumption. The main challenge is to create a more energy-efficient component without sacrificing its size or compromising performance.
5G Support
The widespread adoption of 5G leads to quicker integration of 5G modems into smartphone processors. At first, they were presented only in high-end phone models, but now they are increasingly available in budget-friendly options.
The Best Smartphone Processors in 2025
In this tight competition, there are several smartphone processors that provide the best performance. We have collected four of them that are leading the market:
- Apple A18 Pro:This SoC is used in iPhone 16 Pro and has a 6-core graphics configuration. Compared to its predecessor, the A17 Pro, it has a smaller transistor size and a higher clock speed.
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 4: This processor is Qualcomm’s flagship that offers improved performance, around 25% better graphics compared to Gen 3, and an integrated 3 nm node.
- MediaTek Dimensity 9400: This latest processor model claims to achieve an almost 30% performance increase over Cortex-X, a previous generation of MediaTek’s processors. Dimensity 9400 also features Armv9.2 CPU architecture for better performance.
- Samsung Exynos 2400: This latest development maximizes 5G connectivity, enhances gaming and AI performance, and features a 10-core CPU and a powerful GPU based on AMD's RDNA 3 architecture.
How to Test Smartphone Processor Performance
As processors impact all aspects of smartphone performance, their defects can be detected through comprehensive diagnostics. For used phone businesses, the most efficient way to test a device is by using a software solution.
NSYS Diagnostics is an advanced tool that performs over 60 tests to detect more than 100 hardware defects. It offers a testing certificate for each device with the results of every check. These certificates verify smartphone quality to provide longer guarantees and help resell devices on online marketplaces such as Back Market, Amazon Renewed, and Refurbed.
Click the button below to arrange a free demo of NSYS Diagnostics!
