Global technology company Qualcomm has played a key role in pushing the boundaries of what is possible for the mobile industry over the past three decades. Today, the company continues to set the pace of innovation for the mobile industry, but this Nasdaq-listed multinational is now looking to execute on its self-proclaimed “biggest opportunity”—the mission to enable everyone, and everything, to be intelligently connected.
As industries around the globe undergo digital transformation, Qualcomm is fast becoming the partner of choice to enable this transition. A key reason for this is the company’s leading technology roadmap, which was founded in mobile, but is now relevant to all industries that are looking to intelligently connect their worlds. Artificial intelligence, cameras, connectivity, audio, video, security, GPUs and CPUs are no longer technologies that are relevant only to mobile devices—now they are being used more broadly to develop next-generation automobiles, smart homes, smart cities and smart factories, among others.
One of the key enablers of this digital transformation is 5G. According to U.S.-based business consulting firm Frost & Sullivan, 5G revenue in Asia-Pacific (APAC) is expected to grow from US$2.13 billion in 2020 to US$23.89 billion in 2025. With the huge potential in 5G, Qualcomm, a leader in 5G technologies, is confident that it can grow its business in the APAC region beyond smartphones. The company has developed its flagship Snapdragon 5G-enabled platforms for mobile, but also for mobile computing and auto, as well as for networking and fixed wireless access.
“Since 5G has started to be deployed in more countries, we’ve seen various applications for it that have been impacting the way people work and live,” says Jim Cathey, Chief Commercial Officer at Qualcomm. “Given that 5G is still in its infancy, we see more developers and companies investing to create solutions that would harness the technology to improve lives and livelihoods, and we have the technologies to help them do that.”
A Leader in Mobile Technology
Even as it banks on 5G to drive growth in APAC, Qualcomm continues to reinforce its leadership position in the mobile space. The company’s mobile business is expected to continue expanding on the back of the 8.4 billion smartphones that global market intelligence firm IDC expects to be shipped between 2021 and 2026. Furthermore, analysts forecast that nearly 6 billion 5G smartphones will hit the market between 2020 and 2026.
Qualcomm’s success in this segment has been driven largely by its flagship Snapdragon mobile platforms, which provide consumers with a superior mobile user experience across a wide range of devices, from entry-level offerings to the latest high-end flagship devices.
“Snapdragon mobile platforms from Qualcomm Technologies are synonymous with premium Android. With leading-edge innovation and breakthroughs, they are designed to offer the most immersive, intelligent and connected mobile user experiences deployed in some of the world’s most popular smartphones,” says S.T. Liew, Qualcomm’s Head of APAC.
Apart from Snapdragon’s exceptional performance and features, OEMs are also able to benefit greatly from the platform’s seamless integration, which can help reduce the time and cost to develop devices. As Qualcomm offers different tiers of Snapdragon platforms, OEMs are also able to offer mobile devices across different price points.
“The technological leadership, design flexibility and power efficiency of Snapdragon mobile platforms come from relentless research and development [R&D], proven engineering expertise, superior global customer support, and a user-centered design approach. Consumers can enjoy immersive experiences, lightning-fast connectivity and cutting-edge performance with devices powered by Snapdragon,” explains Liew.
Always On, Always Connected
The PC market is yet another key growth driver for Qualcomm in APAC. The traditional PC market, made up of desktops, notebooks and workstations, registered a 15.9% year-on-year increase, reaching about 120.3 million units in the region.
Qualcomm is making its mark in this space through the use of its groundbreaking Snapdragon compute platforms, which power Always On, Always Connected PCs by combining the best of mobile phones with the performance of PCs. The pandemic accelerated demand for such devices, as more people worked from home, and schools conducted classes remotely.
“The Snapdragon compute platforms equip mobile PCs with powerful performance and efficiency, delivering the ability to connect to fast and secure cellular network connectivity, and boast advanced camera and audio features that enable devices perfect for use for enterprise and for education,” says Liew.
Even as pandemic restrictions ease, an IDC study among APAC working professionals found that more than 56% of employees still prefer flexible work arrangements that allow them to operate remotely.
In the education space, some countries continue to conduct distance learning as they adjust to a post-pandemic normal. Through its partnership with The Dariu Foundation, Qualcomm witnessed firsthand the positive impact that its devices had for more than 100,000 students learning remotely across 80 beneficiary schools.
To thrive in this new normal, workers and students are seeking mobile experiences that match the capabilities of their smartphones and PCs; keeping them securely connected to their organizations while enhancing their output. Snapdragon powered devices are able to deliver the connectivity, security and productivity that users seek in a world of remote work.
Says Cathey: “With all of these in mind, we see a lot of opportunities to further strengthen our foothold in the APAC region.”
Qualcomm’s Market-leading Solutions
Qualcomm 5G Industrial IoT
Qualcomm is at the forefront of wireless R&D on the road to 5G Advanced and beyond, developing technologies to meet the demanding requirements for Industry 4.0, and collaborating with leading industrial automation companies today to advance industrial efficiency with the power of 5G.
Qualcomm Automotive Solutions
Qualcomm provides advanced scalable cloud connected platforms for automotive telematics and connectivity, cockpit and driver assistance & autonomy solutions from leveraging its one technology roadmap spanning low-power, high performance compute, multi-modal connectivity, and AI to deliver the Snapdragon Digital Chassis.
Snapdragon mobile platforms
Synonymous with Premium Android, Snapdragon mobile platforms are designed to offer the most immersive, intelligent, and connected mobile user experiences so consumers can enjoy the most immersive experiences, lightning-fast connectivity, and cutting-edge performance with devices powered by Snapdragon.
Snapdragon compute platforms
Combining the best of the smartphone with the performance of Windows PCs and Chromebooks, delivering speed, power, and performance with multi-day battery life, 4G LTE and 5G connectivity experiences; enterprise, education, and everyday end-users can have the freedom to connect, compute, and communicate from anywhere.