Qualcomm’s latest 5G phone platform, the Snapdragon 865, is only three months old, and yet with numerous 5G phones already in the works, it’s proving to be an incredibly popular platform.
Qualcomm has reported that over 70 flagship designs based on the Snapdragon 865 platform will be made available to consumers in 2020. This includes a number of already announced models, including the Samsung Galaxy S20s, Sony Xperia 1 II, and Xiaomi Mi 10 – but also many models we are yet to hear of.
New features
And it’s not that surprising that phone manufacturers have been attracted to Qualcomm’s new chip, as it comes with a whole host of impressive features. Whilst 5G connectivity may be one of the most obvious benefits, it also supports Dolby Vision, bringing the HDR (High Dynamic Range) video format to more Android phones.
And there are also some significant camera upgrades, too, with the chip also boasting 4K video capture at 120fps, and the ability to shoot 200MP photos – plus you’ll get slow-motion video capture at 960fps. And Qualcomm also promises faster data processing, which is vital for all of these new features.
Strong fiscal quarter
Thanks to what Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 865 chip offers, a large number of leading mobile phone manufacturers are opting for Qualcomm to power their 5G devices, which is a huge win for the company, which has already seen better-than-expected financial results.
Qualcomm earned an adjusted 99 cents a share on sales of $5.08 billion in its fiscal first quarter, which closed at the tail end of 2019, where analysts had predicted Qualcomm earnings of 86 cents a share, on sales of $4.86 billion. And despite year-on-year earnings for Qualcomm falling to 17.5%, sales rose by 5%, and investors are feeling bullish, with the stock running up more than 70% over the past year.
"Our strong fiscal-first-quarter financial performance reflects a significant inflection point for Qualcomm as we begin to realize the benefits from the ramp of 5G," said CEO Steve Mollenkopf.
