According to the latest research from data analytics company, Strategy Analytics (SA), the global smartphone applications processor market grew by nearly 50% year-on-year to reach $3.6 billion in Q1 2013.

The latest data from the company’s Handset Component Technologies (HCT) service report also revealed that Qualcomm, Apple, Samsung, MediaTek and Broadcom grabbed the top 5 revenue share places within the smartphone applications processor market during Q1 2013.

Qualcomm on top of the mobile CPU world

Qualcomm is the smartphone applications processor market leader courtesy of its 49% revenue share, followed by Apple with 13% as well as Korean tech giant Samsung with a 12% share in Q1 2013.

Sravan Kundojjala, SA senior analyst stated that a key component of Qualcomm’s stellar market performance was that it became the first choice CPU provider for most of the high-profile smartphones currently available on the market. These includes the HTC One (review), Google Nexus 4, LG Optimus G (review), US-spec version of Samsung’s Galaxy S4 (review), Sony’s Xperia Z (review), and every single Windows Phone OS powered smartphone.

In the standalone application processor category Qualcomm ranks number one after overtaking both Apple and Samsung during Q1 2013. The company’s Snapdragon 600 (APQ8064T) has been a highly popular CPU choice for smartphone OEMs (original equipment manufacturers), whilst the Snapdragon 800 range of mobile CPUs have already begun appearing within devices such as Sony’s Xperia Z Ultra phablet.

In related news, SA also recently revealed that web data traffic via mobile phone usage will undergo exponential growth over the next five years, increasing by 300% from current levels to reach 21 million terabytes by 2017.