Qualcomm is aiming to become a bigger player in AI infrastructure, using data centers as a new growth opportunity while the smartphone market slows. During its Q4 2026 earnings call, the company highlighted plans to expand its role in powering AI workloads beyond mobile devices.
The push is backed by major partnerships, including previously announced collaborations with Amazon and Meta. These relationships position Qualcomm to bring its chip expertise into the data center market, where demand for AI compute continues to grow rapidly.
Big growth ambitions
Qualcomm expects around $650 million in data center revenue in the first quarter of 2027, with projections rising to $5 billion by the end of 2027 and $15 billion by 2029. If achieved, that would make AI data centers a major new pillar of the company’s business.
- More chip competition could help expand AI computing capacity.
- Large cloud and platform partnerships may speed real-world deployment.
- Qualcomm’s move shows how AI demand is reshaping the semiconductor industry.
While these are still forward-looking targets, the scale of Qualcomm’s commitment is a positive sign for the AI ecosystem. More suppliers investing in AI infrastructure could help make advanced AI services faster, more available, and more efficient over time.