Will Solid Momentum in Premium Handset Vertical Drive QCOM's Growth?

Core Insights - Qualcomm has been selected by Samsung to provide the Snapdragon 8 Elite Mobile Platform for its Galaxy Z Fold7 devices, enhancing performance and AI capabilities [1] - The Snapdragon 8 Elite chipsets are gaining traction in the premium smartphone market, with several manufacturers adopting them [2] - Qualcomm's QCT segment revenues increased to $9.47 billion in Q1 from $8.03 billion year-over-year, with expectations of $27.7 billion in handset revenue for 2025, reflecting an 11.3% year-over-year growth [3] Market Dynamics - Healthy demand in the premium smartphone segment is driving growth for Qualcomm, but competition from low-cost manufacturers like MediaTek and Rockchip is impacting profitability [4] - Apple is moving towards in-house chip development, which is affecting Qualcomm's revenue growth, as Apple has replaced Qualcomm's RF modem in its latest iPhone [4] - Broadcom is also a competitor, leveraging strong relationships with OEMs to gain insights into customer requirements [5] Financial Performance - Qualcomm shares have declined by 20.2% over the past year, contrasting with the industry's growth of 18.1% [6] - The company's shares trade at a price/earnings ratio of 13.51, significantly lower than the industry average of 33.07 [8] - Earnings estimates for 2025 have decreased by 0.17% to $11.71 per share, while 2026 estimates have declined by 2.23% to $11.82 [9]