“If Qualcomm makes this decision, it could mark a significant shift in the balance of power in the PC chip market, potentially setting the stage for a more competitive landscape driven by AI-focused innovation,” said Scott Dylan, founder of NexaTech Ventures.
Ultimately, it would be a win for Qualcomm's strategy to diversify beyond mobile chipsets, he added, “but it could also signal Intel's retreat from its once-dominant position in the semiconductor market.”
Beyond a “saturated” smartphone market
Qualcomm is best known for its smartphone chips, serving some of the biggest brands on the market such as Samsung, but it has continued to push hard into the AI-powered PC chip market and is taking direct aim at Intel as the company continues to struggle. Unlike Intel and AMD, with their x86-based architectures, Qualcomm offers ARM-powered chips, which are said to have better power efficiency and longer battery life, between 18 and 20 hours.