• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

As Big Tech showers employees with perks to win the talent war, Nvidia built a nearly $5 trillion company by making people pay for their own lunch

2

MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year

3

The Supreme Court's birthright citizenship ruling hands the U.S. economy a $7.7 trillion win

1

As Big Tech showers employees with perks to win the talent war, Nvidia built a nearly $5 trillion company by making people pay for their own lunch

2

MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year

3

The Supreme Court's birthright citizenship ruling hands the U.S. economy a $7.7 trillion win

The company Apple-Samsung can’t hurt

Michal Lev-Ram
By
Michal Lev-Ram
Michal Lev-Ram
Special Correspondent
Down Arrow Button Icon
Michal Lev-Ram
By
Michal Lev-Ram
Michal Lev-Ram
Special Correspondent
Down Arrow Button Icon
August 31, 2012, 9:22 AM ET
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

FORTUNE — While much of the mobile industry is still reeling from last week’s Apple-Samsung verdict, at least one wireless giant—Qualcomm—is confident the outcome won’t hurt its business. The San Diego-based company’s chips are found in hundreds of different smartphone models, and as long as the industry as a whole continues to grow, Qualcomm (QCOM) will keep growing too. Of course, the wireless chipmaker is no stranger to its own patent infringement lawsuits (which is probably why it’s happy to watch this one unfold from the sidelines). Qualcomm resolved its long-standing legal battle with Nokia (NOK) back in 2008, and now the two companies have a tight partnership — in fact, Qualcomm powers all Microsoft (MSFT) Windows Phone smartphones, including Nokia’s Lumia line of devices. Its chips are also found in many Google (GOOG) Android smartphones and some Apple (AAPL) products. We caught up with Qualcomm CEO Paul Jacobs to get his take on last week’s monumental verdict, upcoming Windows 8 devices and how he plans to get consumers psyched about the chips inside their smartphone.

FORTUNE: What implications does the Apple-Samsung verdict have for upcoming Windows 8 phones, and for you?

Jacobs: I don’t want to get too much into the legal issues, but we’ve been through a few of these things in the past. When I took over in 2005 we got sued by a whole bunch of people all at once, including Nokia, who are now friends of ours. What happens is there’s a big appeals process that always plays out so first that has to happen. But from our point of view it doesn’t look like there’s much impact on the chip business. This is mostly about older phones, not newer products. Of course we help our partners out, and we definitely want to see the industry not be so litigious and move forward. In terms of its impact on Windows 8, that’s really hard for me to tell.

Describe the relationship you have today with Nokia. You get along now?

Jacobs: We signed a deal with them in 2008 so that’s in the past. We work really closely with them on the product design side. We help them bring new phones out. In the beginning it was a brand new relationship but it really accelerated after Stephen [Elop, CEO of Nokia] came in and decided to go full force on Windows Phone. They have a facility in San Diego and we work with those guys and people in Finland really closely. It’s a very good relationship and very friendly. We are on all the Lumia phones — all of the Windows phones are Qualcomm-based. That’s because when Microsoft did Windows Phone they made a reference hardware design and said that this is the hardware it will be optimized for.

What about Intel? They’ve made a few announcements in the mobile space — what do you think of their efforts?

Jacobs: What they’ve done so far is really just dipped their toes in the water. They worked with a few companies and funded some designs. They brought them out to the market and they really didn’t sell very well. They’ll keep bringing out the next chip and the next chip. The big thing they’re talking about now is having a manufacturing advantage. When Intel’s making these statements they’re looking at it like the industry will stay in the same space and they’ll get the lead, but that’s not the way it will play out. ARM [a competing mobile chip architecture, used by Qualcomm] is more efficient. We’ve always had a transistor disadvantage so to speak but the whole system together has a power advantage. So I think that will continue.

Given that there are so many other competitors that license from ARM how do you differentiate and work with your manufacturers to help them differentiate?

Jacobs: We license the instruction set from ARM but we actually design the microprocessor ourselves. What that allows us to do is get a jump on the other companies. We’re ahead on what ARM’s doing because we’re so focused on mobile.

Do you care if consumers who are buying these smartphones know that there’s a Qualcomm chip inside?

Jacobs: I think it will matter more in the future. What you want is for them to know is that if they buy a Snapdragon [Qualcomm’s line of smartphone processors] it’s going to have better performance, better power consumption and more integration of functionality. All these attributes that we’re trying to cram into a chip, we need some way of creating an emotional connection to people. And so we’re in the process of going through that work and we recently hired a new chief marketing officer [the new exec is the former head of Intel’s mobile group, Anand Chandrasekher].

So will we see “Qualcomm Inside” campaigns soon?

Jacobs: Not “Qualcomm Inside.” We’ll have our own thing. We’re so much an engineering company so it’s hard for us to spend the money on marketing. But it’s already happened a lot overseas. In many of the emerging markets, people really want to have the Qualcomm brand.

About the Author
Michal Lev-Ram
By Michal Lev-RamSpecial Correspondent
Twitter icon

Michal Lev-Ram is a special correspondent covering the technology and entertainment sectors for Fortune, writing analysis and longform reporting.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in

Current refi mortgage rates report for July 2, 2026
Personal FinanceReal Estate
Current refi mortgage rates report for July 2, 2026
By Glen Luke FlanaganJuly 2, 2026
42 minutes ago
Mortgage rates today, July 2, 2026
Personal Financemortgages
Mortgage rates today, July 2, 2026
By Glen Luke FlanaganJuly 2, 2026
42 minutes ago
Current ARM mortgage rates report for July 2, 2026
Personal FinanceReal Estate
Current ARM mortgage rates report for July 2, 2026
By Glen Luke FlanaganJuly 2, 2026
42 minutes ago
hegseth
Startups & VentureVenture Capital
The defense tech boom has become a bubble—or it will be soon
By Allie GarfinkleJuly 2, 2026
43 minutes ago
Emily Blunt is worth $80 million and just pocketed $15 million for her latest film—but she once wanted to be a Spanish translator for the UN
SuccessCareers
Emily Blunt is worth $80 million and just pocketed $15 million for her latest film—but she once wanted to be a Spanish translator for the UN
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJuly 2, 2026
45 minutes ago
Trump’s 927-page disclosure is just a normal Tuesday for direct indexing and crypto wealth managers
InvestingDonald Trump
Trump’s 927-page disclosure is just a normal Tuesday for direct indexing and crypto wealth managers
By Catherina GioinoJuly 1, 2026
9 hours ago

Most Popular

As Big Tech showers employees with perks to win the talent war, Nvidia built a nearly $5 trillion company by making people pay for their own lunch
Big Tech
As Big Tech showers employees with perks to win the talent war, Nvidia built a nearly $5 trillion company by making people pay for their own lunch
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJuly 1, 2026
1 day ago
MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year
Success
MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year
By Sydney LakeJune 25, 2026
7 days ago
The Supreme Court's birthright citizenship ruling hands the U.S. economy a $7.7 trillion win
Newsletters
The Supreme Court's birthright citizenship ruling hands the U.S. economy a $7.7 trillion win
By Diane BradyJuly 1, 2026
23 hours ago
Current price of oil as of July 1, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of July 1, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 1, 2026
19 hours ago
Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster
Success
Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster
By Preston ForeJune 27, 2026
5 days ago
Elon Musk on MacKenzie Scott giving away $26 billion of her fortune: 'Sadly,' it makes the world a worse place
Success
Elon Musk on MacKenzie Scott giving away $26 billion of her fortune: 'Sadly,' it makes the world a worse place
By Sydney LakeJune 29, 2026
3 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.