Qualcomm designs the Snapdragon family of mobile processors.
Qualcomm was founded in 1985 by Irwin Jacobs, Andrew Viterbi, Harvey White, Adelia Coffman, Andrew Cohen, Klein Gilhousen, and Franklin Antonio. The company became a major force in wireless communications through research, patents, chipsets, and licensing. Snapdragon is Qualcomm’s branded family of system-on-chip products used in many smartphones and other devices.
Qualcomm’s business includes semiconductor products and technology licensing. Its modem and radio technologies have been important in cellular standards including CDMA and later generations of mobile connectivity. Snapdragon platforms can combine application processing, graphics, connectivity, and other functions in a single package, which is why the brand is familiar to smartphone buyers.
Qualcomm is sometimes confused with Arm. Qualcomm designs and sells chips, while Arm licenses processor architectures and designs to chip companies. It is also distinct from MediaTek, a competing fabless chip designer. Qualcomm’s intellectual property and mobile-chip businesses have made it a notable semiconductor company in market-cap comparisons.