In 2025, at the MWC conference themed "AI everywhere," MediaTek's president and COO Joe Chen emphasized that AI will play a crucial role in consumer electronics, particularly in the saturated smartphone market, forecasting a major transformation in user experience in the coming two years.
Chen noted that earlier AI applications were largely cloud-based, demanding significant GPU resources for training models. This made them less accessible to consumers. Recent advancements in AI have improved inference capabilities and lowered computational costs, bringing AI closer to consumer devices like smartphones and tablets.
He noted that while smartphones have the potential to transform consumer experiences, initial uses will be limited to specific scenarios. The anticipated "all-powerful" features may not emerge immediately, but within two years, more innovative AI-driven functionalities in smartphones and tablets are expected.
MediaTek supports Google's Gemini and Meta's Llama models, and it's notably involved in developing AI PC chips with Nvidia using Arm architecture. Although there are concerns about compatibility, including gaming performance, the combination of Nvidia's GPU strengths and MediaTek's technology is expected to address these issues. As Chen wittily noted, poor sales from others don't predict MediaTek's success.
MediaTek's mobile AP business is thriving as its market share in China's flagship smartphone segment climbs from over 30% in 2023 to around 40% in 2024, with further growth expected. The new Dimensity 9500 chip is gaining better client adoption compared to the previous Dimensity 9400 chip.
Chen observed that demand remains strong in early 2025, driven by China's subsidies for smartphones and tablets, although the latter half of the year needs more evaluation. Chinese smartphone brands are expanding internationally, aiding MediaTek's flagship chips in reaching global markets.
Beyond AI smartphones, MediaTek is concentrating on satellite communication technology. The company is pushing for satellite communications in 3GPP standards and has standardized 4G NTN and 5G NR NTN. At MWC 2025, MediaTek demonstrated 5G NR-NTN technology using OneWeb and Ku-band to convert satellite signals into Wi-Fi networks for homes.
At MWC 2025, MediaTek unveiled two 6G innovations: integrating communication with cloud-based computational resources for devices lacking processing power, and technologies related to the 6G FR3 frequency band. Despite these advances, Chen predicts that 6G might not be commercially available until 2030.
MediaTek anticipates that with reduced barriers to large models, AI will fundamentally transform the smartphone user experience in the next two years.
MediaTek's president and COO Joe Chen. Credit: DIGITIMES
Article edited by Jack Wu
