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Tag: Cristiano Amon

  • Qualcomm CEO: Apple Will Use Their Own Modems in 2024

    Qualcomm CEO: Apple Will Use Their Own Modems in 2024

    Qualcomm isn’t holding out any hope of continuing as Apple’s primary modem supplier and is expecting to lose that business in 2024.

    Apple and Qualcomm have a contentious relationship, one filled with alternating deals and lawsuits. For the time being, Qualcomm is the primary provider of the modems Apple uses in its iPhones and iPads, but the Cupertino company has been working hard to build its own modems and end reliance on Qualcomm.

    It appears those plans are closer to reality than ever before, according to Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon.

    “We’re making no plans for 2024, my planning assumption is we’re not providing [Apple] a modem in ’24, but it’s their decision to make,” Amon told CNBC at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

    Apple bought Intel’s failed modem division after the latter exited the business, accusing Qualcomm of creating a “a web of anticompetitive conduct designed to allow Qualcomm to coerce customers, tilt the competitive playing field and exclude competitors, all the while shielding itself from legal scrutiny and capturing billions in unlawful gains.”

    While there’s no love lost between Apple and Qualcomm, the latter is sure to feel a financial hit from losing the lucrative iPhone business.

  • Qualcomm Warns of Weaker Profits on Smartphone Headwinds

    Qualcomm Warns of Weaker Profits on Smartphone Headwinds

    Qualcomm has warned of weaker profits as a result of major headwinds in the broader smartphone industry.

    According to TheStreet, Qualcomm is warning that a slump in smartphone demand, along with COVID lockdowns in China, is impacting its profits. As a result, the company will not deliver the profits analysts were expecting, instead coming in somewhere between $9.2 and $10 billion.

    “What we have seen in the smartphone markets is a combination of the weakness of demand, which is related to basically the macroeconomic headwinds, and the prolonged Covid in China,” CEO Cristiano Amon said in a late-Wednesday investor call.

    Interestingly, Amon said the previous supply chain issues were finally resolved, but “with the macroeconomic uncertainty, you have a drawdown to bring inventory to a different level than it was during the situation of demand constraint. That’s the big issue, really.”

  • Meta Taps Qualcomm to Manufacture Its VR Chips

    Meta Taps Qualcomm to Manufacture Its VR Chips

    Qualcomm has scored a major contract, with Meta tapping the firm to create its virtual reality (VR) chips.

    Meta is going all-in on the metaverse, running TV ads and working to convince customers and companies that they should buy into its vision of what the metaverse should be. In order to take advantage of the metaverse, however, people still need headsets and equipment — equipment which will be powered by custom chips Qualcomm will be making for the social media giant.

    The two companies have “announced a multi-year agreement to collaborate on a new era of spatial computing powered by Snapdragon extended reality (XR) platforms and technologies for the Meta Quest platform.”

    The new agreement builds on a seven-year history of collaboration between the two companies.

    “By partnering with Meta, we are bringing together two of the world’s metaverse leaders to revolutionize the future of computing for billions of people in the coming years,” said Cristiano Amon, president and chief executive officer, Qualcomm Incorporated. “Building off our joint leadership in XR, this agreement will allow our companies to deliver best-in-class devices and experiences to transform how we work, play, learn, create and connect in a fully realized metaverse.”

    “We’re working with Qualcomm Technologies on customized virtual reality chipsets — powered by Snapdragon XR platforms and technology — for our future roadmap of Quest products,” said Mark Zuckerberg, Founder and CEO, Meta. “As we continue to build more advanced capabilities and experiences for virtual and augmented reality, it has become more important to build specialized technologies to power our future VR headsets and other devices. Unlike mobile phones, building virtual reality brings novel, multi-dimensional challenges in spatial computing, cost, and form factor. These chipsets will help us keep pushing virtual reality to its limits and deliver awesome experiences.”

  • Qualcomm Wants Consortium of Rivals to Ensure Arm Remains Independent

    Qualcomm Wants Consortium of Rivals to Ensure Arm Remains Independent

    Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon wants his company to be part of a consortium of rivals that would invest in Arm and ensure its independence.

    Arm Holdings is one of the leading semiconductor design firms, with companies around the globe licensing its designs to serve as the basis for their chips. Apple’s A-series and M1 line of chips are prime examples. The company was recently in talks to be acquired by Nvidia, but that deal fell through over concerns that owning Arm would give Nvidia an unfair advantage. Amon wants to make sure that scenario is never again a possibility.

    SoftBank, Arm’s current owner, is now looking to spin-off Arm as an independent company following the failure of the Nvidia deal. Amon told Financial Times, via Ars Technica, he wants many companies to invest in Arm to ensure no one company could gain an unfair advantage.

    “We’re an interested party in investing,” Amon said in an interview. “It’s a very important asset and it’s an asset which is going to be essential to the development of our industry.”

    “You’d need to have many companies participating so they have a net effect that Arm is independent,” he added.

    Amon sees this strategy as a way for Arm to return to its roots and do business the way it did before SoftBank acquired it.

    “Arm has won everywhere because of the collective investment of the entire ecosystem, from companies like Apple and Qualcomm and many others, and that’s because it was an independent, open architecture that everybody could invest in,” said Amon, referring to the pre-SoftBank period.

    Given Arm’s importance to the industry, it’s a safe bet his sentiments will be echoed by many of Arm’s customers. In fact, Intel has expressed similar interest in a consortium to purchase Arm.

  • Qualcomm Announces $100 Million Snapdragon Metaverse Fund

    Qualcomm Announces $100 Million Snapdragon Metaverse Fund

    Qualcomm is increasing its investment in metaverse development, announcing the $100 million Snapdragon Metaverse Fund.

    The metaverse — the convergence of virtual, augmented, and in-person realty to create an immersive extended reality (XR) experience — is quickly gaining momentum, with a wide range of companies moving to stake their claim. Qualcomm is the latest, announcing its new fund to help further development by supporting XR developers in their efforts.

    Qualcomm will deploy the available capital through both venture investments and a grant program.

    “We deliver the groundbreaking platform technology and experiences that will enable both the consumer and the enterprise to build and engage in the metaverse and allow the physical and digital worlds to be connected. Qualcomm is the ticket to the metaverse,” said Cristiano Amon, president and CEO of Qualcomm Incorporated. “Through the Snapdragon Metaverse Fund, we look forward to empowering developers and companies of all sizes as they push boundaries of what’s possible as we enter into this new generation of spatial computing.”

    Developers interested in the program can learn more at qualcomm.com/metaverse-fund. Applications for funding will open in June.

  • Qualcomm Wants to Take on Apple’s M1

    Qualcomm Wants to Take on Apple’s M1

    Qualcomm has its sights set on Apple, with plans to take on the company’s M1 processor.

    Apple rocked the computing industry last year when it announced it was transitioning its Mac platform to its own custom silicon, the M1. The company previously relied on Intel to power its computers, but the M1 offered major advantages.

    Apple’s custom silicon is based on designs from Arm Holdings. As one of the original founders of Arm, however, Apple has the broadest license available, giving the company freedom to create truly custom chips. An evolution of the processors Apple has used in the iPhone and iPad for years, the M1 has unrivaled energy use, combined with stellar performance that rivals and exceeds Intel’s best offerings.

    The move has put tremendous pressure on PC makers to deliver a competitive product. Similarly, Microsoft has been migrating Windows to Arm processors to help pave the way for adoption by the PC industry.

    Qualcomm’s new CEO believes his company may have the answer to Apple. The company already creates Arm-based chips, much like Apple does, but Cristiano Amon told Reuters he believes the company needs its own line of custom silicon to help his customers better compete with Cupertino.

    Amon’s efforts are aided by a number of former Apple engineers, including ones who worked on Apple’s chip, that now work for Qualcomm. The engineers came onboard when Qualcomm purchased chip startup Nuvia, a company that was founded by ex-Apple employees.

    If Qualcomm is able to deliver on Amon’s vision, it could find itself in a strong position in the PC industry, building on its already enviable position in the smartphone market.

  • Qualcomm Wants to Buy a Stake in Arm

    Qualcomm Wants to Buy a Stake in Arm

    Qualcomm has expressed interest in buying a stake in chipmaker Arm Holdings, should the NVIDIA deal fall through.

    Arm Holdings designs semiconductors used in mobile devices, computers and servers. Unlike other chipmakers, which design and manufacture their chips, Arm licenses its designs to other companies, including Apple, Qualcomm, Samsung and others, who are responsible for manufacturing them.

    While Arm chips have traditionally dominated the mobile landscape, thanks to their combination of performance, power consumption and battery life, the chips are gaining popularity in desktop devices. Apple is leading the charge, migrating its Mac platform to its custom, Arm-based silicon.

    NVIDIA announced it had entered an agreement to purchase Arm last September, but the deal is currently being investigated by the UK government over national security concerns. As technology, and especially the semiconductor industry, continues to be impacted by geopolitical factors, the UK government is worried about its main chipmaker coming under US control. NVIDIA rivals are also concerned the company will end Arm’s long tradition of vendor neutrality in favor of keeping Arm’s greatest innovations for itself.

    Qualcomm appears ready to pounce, should the NVIDIA deal fall through, according to The Telegraph, via TheStreet.

    “If Arm has an independent future, I think you will find there is a lot of interest from a lot of the companies within the ecosystem, including Qualcomm, to invest in Arm,” Cristiano Amon, Qualcomm’s incoming chief executive, told The Telegraph.

    Needless to say, NVIDIA was dismissive of such ideas, portraying Arm as needing NVIDIA’s help to succeed.

    “To grow and meet the demands of the AI era, Arm needs much more than an IPO,” Nvidia said in a statement. “Arm needs an infusion new technology that it can provide to Arm licensees everywhere, which is why we stepped up and agreed to buy Arm.”

  • Qualcomm Finalizes Acquisition of NUVIA

    Qualcomm Finalizes Acquisition of NUVIA

    Qualcomm has completed its acquisition of NUVIA, in a bid to challenge Apple’s custom silicon.

    Arm-based processors power the majority of smartphones and tablets, with Apple and Qualcomm both making their own line of chips. Unfortunately for Qualcomm, Apple’s custom silicon continues to be the fastest in the industry — often by a wide margin.

    Qualcomm is looking to close that gap with its acquisition of NUVIA, a CPU and technology design firm. One of its founders, Gerard Williams III, was lead architect at Apple for over a decade, working on all of Apple’s in-house chips up to the A13.

    “The world-class NUVIA team enhances our CPU roadmap, extending Qualcomm’s leading technology position with the Windows, Android and Chrome ecosystems,” said Cristiano Amon, President and CEO-Elect, Qualcomm Incorporated. “The broad support of this acquisition from across industries validates the opportunity we have to provide differentiated products with leading CPU performance and power efficiency, as on-demand computing increases in the 5G era.”

    The addition of NUVIA should provide a major boost to Qualcomm’s efforts at a time when mobile computing and 5G technologies are more important than ever.

  • Qualcomm Introduces First 10 Gigabit 5G Modem

    Qualcomm Introduces First 10 Gigabit 5G Modem

    Qualcomm has introduced the Snapdragon X65, the world’s first 5G modem with 10 gigabit support.

    Qualcomm is the world’s leading cellular modem manufacturer, and the company claims its latest generation of 5G modems is the biggest leap yet. Most notably, the Snapdragon X65 offers full 10 gigabit performance.

    To be clear, 10 gigabit speeds are not currently available from any kind of 5G. However, the fastest flavor of 5G, high-band mmWave, is designed to offer speeds measured in gigabits. Even the slower, but farther-reaching mid-band 5G, has already been proven to be able to deliver speeds in excess of one gigabit. As a result, a 10 gigabit modem ensures there is no bottleneck and allows the phone to benefit from the full range of speeds offered.

    Another major benefit of the Snapdragon X65 is its spectrum aggregation, enabling it to use a combination of all available 5G spectrum bands to provide the best combination of speed and range.

    “The 5G transition presents the biggest opportunity for Qualcomm as mobile technology is poised to benefit virtually every industry,” said Cristiano Amon, president and CEO-elect, Qualcomm Incorporated. “We are reaching a significant milestone with the Snapdragon X65 5G Modem-RF System, unleashing connectivity up to 10 Gigabits per second and support for the latest 5G specifications that will play a critical role in enabling new 5G use cases not only for redefined premium smartphone experiences, but also opening a new realm of possibilities for 5G expansion across mobile broadband, compute, XR, industrial IoT, 5G private networks and fixed wireless access.”

    “Snapdragon X65 brings together all the key 5G breakthroughs expected from the world’s leading wireless innovator,” said Durga Malladi, senior vice president and general manager, 4G/5G, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. “Our fourth-generation 5G modem-RF system is designed for 5G launches globally and brings major innovations from modem to antenna along with extensive spectrum aggregation capabilities across sub-6 GHz and mmWave. This will fuel the rapid expansion of 5G while enhancing coverage, power efficiency and performance for users. And with extended range, high-power capabilities, Snapdragon X65 and X62 are also at the heart of the expansion of 5G into fixed wireless access and cloud-connected computing opportunities.”

  • Qualcomm Purchasing Chip Company Nuvia

    Qualcomm Purchasing Chip Company Nuvia

    Qualcomm has announced it is acquiring Nuvia, a chip company formed by ex-Apple employees, for $1.4 billion.

    Qualcomm is the maker of a popular line of processors used in phones and tablets. While Qualcomm’s chips are based on Arm designs, like Apple’s custom silicon, Apple consistently takes top marks in performance benchmarks. It appears Qualcomm’s planned acquisition of Nuvia may be an effort to change that.

    Nuvia primarily designs chips for servers, but the company appears to have much wider ambitions. Nuvia’s website speaks of “an opportunity to reimagine silicon design to create a new class of processor that delivers the step-function performance and energy efficiency improvements needed to power the next era of computing.” These plans are likely at the heart of Qualcomm’s interest.

    “5G, the convergence of computing and mobile architectures, and the expansion of mobile technologies into other industries are significant opportunities for Qualcomm,” said Cristiano Amon, President and CEO-Elect, Qualcomm Incorporated. “The NUVIA team are proven innovators, and like Qualcomm, have a strong heritage in creating leading technology and products. I am very excited to have them join our team. Together, we are very well positioned to redefine computing and enable our ecosystem of partners to drive innovation and deliver a new class of products and experiences for the 5G era.”

    “Creating high performance, low-power processors and highly integrated, complex SoCs are part of our DNA,” said Jim Thompson, Chief Technology Officer of Qualcomm. “Adding NUVIA’s deep understanding of high-performance design and integrating NUVIA CPUs with Snapdragon – together with our industry-leading graphics and AI – will take computing performance to a new level and drive new capabilities for products that serve multiple industries.”

    With Apple’s recent switch to its own custom silicon, the race is on to provide high performance processor solutions to the industry, solutions that go beyond what Intel can offer. Qualcomm acquisition of Nuvia is a big step in that direction.

  • Cristiano Amon Replacing Steve Mollenkopf As Qualcomm CEO

    Cristiano Amon Replacing Steve Mollenkopf As Qualcomm CEO

    Steve Mollenkopf is retiring as CEO of Qualcomm after 26 years at the company, and will be replaced by Cristiano Amon.

    Mollenkopf has served as CEO since 2014. Prior to serving as CEO, Mollenkopf began his career at Qualcomm as an engineer, giving him an invaluable insight into the technical aspects of the company’s business. In recent years, Mollenkops has guided the company through major industry transitions, including the development of 5G, as well as fending off antitrust lawsuits the company faced.

    “Steve navigated through unprecedented circumstances during his tenure, facing more in his seven years as CEO than most leaders face in their entire careers,” said Mark McLaughlin, Chair of Qualcomm’s Board of Directors. “Under Steve’s leadership, the Company remained focused and created immense value for stockholders, inventing key technologies that are driving economic growth and improving lives. On behalf of the entire Qualcomm Board, I want to thank Steve for the vision and leadership he brought during his years as CEO and for leading what I am confident will be a seamless transition. Cristiano was the clear choice to be Qualcomm’s next CEO, having the track record of successful execution, deep Company knowledge, very strong relationships with our ecosystem of partners, and the strategic vision to take the Company forward. He is an authentic leader who has played a critical role in the Company’s success. We look forward to working together with him to lead the Company through its next chapter of growth.”

    Cristiano Amon will replace Mollenkopf after serving as Qualcomm President since 2018. Amon has been responsible for Qualcomm’s semiconductor business and played and important role in the company’s 5G strategy. This experience makes him the obvious choice for the company moving forward.

    “I am immensely proud of all that we have accomplished at Qualcomm and the position the Company currently enjoys as the world’s leader in wireless technologies,” Mollenkopf said. “With our business model clearly validated and our leadership in 5G, this is the right time for Cristiano to assume leadership of the Company and preside over what I see as the single largest opportunity in the Company’s history. Cristiano spearheaded the development of our 5G strategy, including its acceleration, industry-leading technology roadmap and global rollout. He was also a key architect and driver of Qualcomm’s strategy to expand and diversify our business beyond mobile and into new industry segments such as Auto, RF Front-End and IoT. Qualcomm is well positioned for the future and I am confident that with Cristiano as CEO, the Company will continue to invent leading technologies and create value for all of our stakeholders.”

    The transition will effective June 30, 2021.

  • Qualcomm Helping Bring 5G to Low-Cost Phones

    Qualcomm Helping Bring 5G to Low-Cost Phones

    Qualcomm has announced it is bringing 5G to its Snapdragon 4-series line of chips.

    While many 5G phones have been announced, the vast majority of them are high-end models, such as the iPhone. As with any new technology, it is easier to roll it out at the top-end of the market first, using the purchases to help offset the cost of the new tech. As the technology matures, however, it inevitably becomes cheaper.

    Qualcomm’s latest announcement is a big step in that direction, as it is bringing 5G to its Snapdragon 4-series chips, used primarily in low-cost devices. Motorola, Oppos and Xiaomi have all committed to using the chip in upcoming phones.

    “Qualcomm continues to pave the way for 5G commercialization at scale, and the expansion of 5G into our Snapdragon 4-series is expected to address regions that currently have approximately 3.5 billion smartphone users combined,” said Cristiano Amon, president, Qualcomm Incorporated. “The Snapdragon 4-series 5G Mobile Platform is designed to exceed expectations for the mass-market segment by bringing an assortment of predominately high- and mid-tier features to a broader audience. It will deliver on the promise of making 5G accessible to all smartphone users.”

  • Qualcomm Chips Central to Wave of 5G Home Internet Devices

    Qualcomm Chips Central to Wave of 5G Home Internet Devices

    While Apple may be looking to end their dependence on Qualcomm, the future is looking bright for the semiconductor company. In a press release issued today, Qualcomm announced that Netgear, LG, Sharp and Samsung are among 30+ companies building plug-and-play home internet gear based on Qualcomm’s 5G chips.

    According to the FCC, some 19 million Americans still lack access to broadband. One of the most anticipated benefits of 5G deployment is the ability to offer broadband-class home internet wirelessly, otherwise known as fixed wireless access.

    5G home broadband holds the promise of gigabit-per-second speeds, far greater than the speed of current 4G technology, as well as many traditional broadband providers. The wireless tech is also a boon for established neighborhoods, since it doesn’t require excavation of roads and yards to lay fiber optic lines.

    “Our comprehensive Snapdragon X55 5G Modem-RF System architecture, which supports virtually any combination of 5G spectrum bands and modes, from sub-6 to extended-range mmWave, will empower global mobile carriers and OEMs to offer best-in-class 5G performance to homes and businesses, including those in previously underserved areas,” said Cristiano Amon, president, Qualcomm Incorporated. “The widespread adoption of our modem-to-antenna solution translates into enhanced fixed broadband services and additional opportunities to utilize 5G network infrastructure for broad coverage in urban, suburban and rural environments. Due to the development ease of our integrated system and industry movement toward self-installed, plug-and-play CPE devices, we expect OEMs will be able to support fixed broadband deployments beginning in 2020.”

  • 5G to Change the Form Factor of Devices, Says Qualcomm President

    5G to Change the Form Factor of Devices, Says Qualcomm President

    Qualcomm President Cristiano Amon sees enormous potential for 5G to change the form factor of devices. “The most important thing is as you change your experience with 5G you’re going to want a different type of device and a different type of screen size and resolution,” says Amon. “The apps are also going to become way more powerful and you will actually have more powerful hardware that goes along with.”

    Cristiano Amon, President of Qualcomm Inc., discusses how 5G is going to prompt changes to the form factor of mobile devices in an interview with Bloomberg Technology at MWC Barcelona 2019:

    5G to Change the Form Factor of Devices

    I feel that there’s enormous potential for 5G to change the form factor of devices. We’re very proud of this partnership with Samsung and how they have been a great partner pioneering this new technology with us. We also see a number of different devices being announced and we see a potential for form factors to change. The most important thing is as you change your experience with 5G you’re going to want a different type of device and a different type of screen size and resolution. The apps are also going to become way more powerful and you will actually have more powerful hardware that goes along with.

    Bigger screens are here to stay. I think you will see the opportunity for larger screens as you have flexible OLED technology. You’re also going to see devices that are more specialized for more capable gaming because 5G will allow you to have mainstream gaming on 5G devices. You’re going to see devices there are going to converge between productivity. Over time, we expect to see virtual reality or augmented reality devices as well as a companion to your phone that is going to be using 5G technology. We hope that they look like eyeglasses.

    Qualcomm 5G PowerSave Technology

    One of the big announcements we’ve made at the show (MWC Barcelona 2019), we’re very proud of it, is the Qualcomm 5G PowerSave technology. That is actually a technology that is allowing the first generation of 5G phones to allow you to have all-day battery life. We have a very mature smartphone base today and users won’t settle for any less than we have on your phones currently. I think that’s the bar for those new 5g flagships. We’re happy a number of OEMs announced phones at this show with this technology.

    I will do a comparison because I think sometimes we forget about what happened in 4G. When we were about this time launching 4G technology, that was over a decade ago, we had two operators and four devices. Look where we are right now. We have 20 operators and 30 devices. It’s an order of magnitude different. Actually, it’s a proxy about how much faster 5G is going to get deployed.