Estimate: MediaTek's revenue increased by 29% in 2016, Qualcomm lagged

In addition to working with big brand names like HTC, Sony, and others, MediaTek also does a lot of business with smaller brands. Its chips are commonly found in mobile devices made by Oppo, Vivo, and a slew of other Chinese manufacturers.

As these manufacturers and their devices grow in popularity because of their great price-performance ratio, so does MediaTek and its revenues. According to the market advisory firm IC Insights, MediaTek is expected to increase its year-on-year sales by 29 percent in 2016. This represents the second-highest growth among companies listed in IC Insights forecasted “Top 20 semiconductor sales leaders” ranking. NVIDIA is expected to take the number one spot in this regards, with a 35 percent year-on-year increase in sales.

In total, MediaTek is expected to generate $8.61 billion in sales in 2016, with smartphone chips accounting for 60 percent of its revenue. It should climb two spots in the ranking and become the 11th biggest semiconductor supplier in the world.

Meanwhile, Qualcomm – one of MediaTek’s biggest rival — is projected to generate $15.44 billion in sales, which represents a 4 percent year-on-year decrease. Despite the sales drop, the US-based chip maker is expected to gain one spot in the ranking to become the 4th largest company in the industry.

Looking at the top, Intel is expected to remain in first place in the top 20 ranking with sales of $56.31 billion, up 8 percent from the previous year. Samsung should come in second with an estimated $43.54 billion in sales (up 4 percent), followed by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. in third place ($29.32 billion in sales; up 11 percent).