{
  "id": 18236362,
  "title": "Qualcomm's smartphone chip sales miss estimates, shares fall",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/05/qualcomms-smartphone-chip-sales-miss-estimates-shares-fall",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-11-05T02:43:57.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Economic Times Tech",
    "slug": "economic-times-tech",
    "url": "https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/technology/qualcomms-smartphone-chip-sales-miss-estimates-shares-fall/articleshow/135556562.cms"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Qualcomm reported weaker-than-expected smartphone chip sales for the fourth quarter, causing its shares to drop more than 4% in extended trading. The decline in sales was attributed to decreased demand and lower Apple revenue. The memory chip industry's surge in prices due to high-bandwidth storage for AI servers added pressure on consumer electronics and negatively impacted smartphone processor designers like Qualcomm. Global smartphone shipments experienced a significant decline of 20% to a 14-year low in the September quarter, as revealed by Counterpoint Research. Qualcomm's handset unit, responsible for chips in smartphones, saw a 26% drop in revenue to $5.14 billion in the fourth quarter, causing the chip segment's revenue to decrease 8% to $9.02 billion. Analysts had anticipated handset revenue of $5.25 billion. During an interview with Reuters, Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon mentioned that Android handset sales were gradually increasing once again. Amon stated that the company had anticipated the memory challenge and had prepared accordingly, adding that they were now observing sequential growth in the Android market and executing successfully in other business areas beyond smartphones. The company's first-quarter fiscal 2027 forecast, released on Wednesday, no longer includes Apple sales, while Qualcomm has been securing contracts with various customers outside the smartphone sector. Amon projected a 70% year-over-year increase in design wins for fiscal 2027 without Apple, indicating a 60% year-over-year growth in non-handset revenue. The smartphone chipmaker expects first-quarter revenue between $10.4 billion and $11.2 billion, surpassing the analysts' average estimate of $10.48 billion. Qualcomm's chip segment is forecasted to generate sales between $9 billion and $9.6 billion, exceeding the estimated $8.88 billion. Adjusted profit is expected to range between $2.15 and $2.35 per share, contrasting with the estimated $2.27. Qualcomm secured a deal with Amazon to purchase up to $60 billion worth of its AI chips and data-center products, expanding its client list to include Microsoft and Meta Platforms. Additionally, Qualcomm recently signed a multi-year 5G deal to supply radio equipment, baseband units, and software for SpaceX's planned nationwide Starlink Mobile network, which is set to launch in 2027. Adjusted sales for the fourth quarter declined by 7% to $10.44 billion, surpassing estimates of $10.11 billion. Adjusted profit amounted to $2.17 per share, slightly above the estimated $2.16.",
  "summary": "Demand for lucrative high-bandwidth storage for AI servers has pushed up memory chip prices, raising the cost of consumer electronics and squeezing smartphone processor designers such as Qualcomm.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 5,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Channel News Asia",
        "title": "Qualcomm's smartphone chip sales miss estimates, shares fall",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/04/qualcomms-smartphone-chip-sales-miss-estimates-shares-fall",
        "published": "2026-11-04T21:05:55.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Business Times - Companies & Markets",
        "title": "Qualcomm’s smartphone chip sales miss estimates, shares fall",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/04/qualcomms-smartphone-chip-sales-miss-estimates-shares-fall-18197342",
        "published": "2026-11-04T22:26:20.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Verge",
        "title": "Qualcomm is betting big on data centers as smartphone sales sink",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/04/qualcomm-is-betting-big-on-data-centers-as-smartphone-sales-sink",
        "published": "2026-11-04T22:42:15.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Investing.com",
        "title": "Qualcomm shares slide as smartphone weakness clouds growth push",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/04/qualcomm-shares-slide-as-smartphone-weakness-clouds-growth-push-18209138",
        "published": "2026-11-04T23:42:52.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}