Qualcomm(US:QCOM) 虎嗅APP·2025-09-25 13:39Core Viewpoint - Qualcomm is facing increasing competition from companies like Apple and Xiaomi, which are developing their own chips, raising concerns about Qualcomm's market position and strategy in the evolving tech landscape [4][24]. Group 1: Qualcomm's Product Launches - On September 25, Qualcomm launched the fifth-generation Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC and Snapdragon X2 Elite series PC processors, emphasizing AI as a core capability rather than a supplementary feature [6][8]. - The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 features a CPU architecture of 2+6 cores, with a peak frequency of 4.6GHz for the prime core and 3.62GHz for performance cores, achieving a 20% increase in single-thread performance and a 35% improvement in overall energy efficiency [10]. - The new Adreno GPU shows a 23% performance increase, 20% energy efficiency improvement, and 25% enhancement in ray tracing performance, integrating 18MB of high-performance memory [13]. - The Hexagon NPU has been significantly upgraded, with a 37% increase in AI performance and a 16% improvement in performance per watt, supporting advanced AI models on mobile devices [14]. Group 2: Strategic Positioning and Challenges - Qualcomm is attempting to establish its presence in the AI PC market, but faces challenges due to its ARM architecture in a Windows-dominated environment [15][16]. - The Snapdragon X2 Elite processor boasts a 39% increase in single-core peak performance and a 50% increase in multi-core performance compared to its predecessor, with the NPU achieving 80 TOPS of AI processing capability [17][19]. - Qualcomm is exploring the development of an "Android AIPC" platform in collaboration with Google, aiming to unify Android and ChromeOS for a seamless experience across devices [20][21]. Group 3: Market Dynamics and Future Outlook - Qualcomm's strategy includes diversifying beyond smartphones, focusing on sectors like automotive, IoT, and XR, while maintaining strong partnerships with Android manufacturers [24][26]. - The company acknowledges the competitive landscape, particularly with companies like Xiaomi entering similar business areas, and emphasizes the importance of collaboration and providing valuable solutions to clients [26]. - Looking ahead, Qualcomm sees significant growth potential in robotics and AR/VR devices, which could achieve widespread adoption similar to smartphones, and plans to invest in these areas to maintain a competitive edge [31].