Analyst(s): Futurum Research
Publication Date: February 6, 2026
Qualcomm delivered record total company and QCT (chip) revenues, with automotive posting a second straight quarter above $1 billion, while handset customers moderated builds due to memory supply and pricing. Management emphasized traction across AI-native devices, Snapdragon X PCs, and automotive platforms, and reiterated confidence in longer-term growth vectors.
What is Covered in this Article:
- Qualcomm’s Q1 FY 2026 financial results
- AI-native mobile and personal AI device momentum
- Snapdragon X PCs and enterprise AI compute
- Automotive digital chassis and SDV pipeline
- Guidance and Final Thoughts
The News: Qualcomm (NASDAQ: QCOM) reported Q1 FY 2026 revenue of $12.3 billion, up 5% year over year (YoY) and above consensus of $11.2 billion. Segment performance included QCT revenue of $10.6 billion (+5% YoY), with handsets at $7.8 billion (+3% YoY), automotive at $1.1 billion (+15% YoY), and internet of things (IoT) at $1.7 billion (+9% YoY), and QTL (licensing) revenue of $1.6 billion (+4% YoY). Non-GAAP operating income was $4.4 billion (+0.7% YoY). Segment EBT margins were 31% in QCT (-1 point YoY) and 77% in QTL (+2 points YoY). Non-GAAP net income was $3.8 billion (-1% YoY), and non-GAAP diluted EPS was $3.50 (+3% YoY).
“While our near-term handsets outlook is impacted by industry-wide memory supply constraints, we are encouraged by end-consumer demand for premium and high tier smartphones, and remain on track to achieve our FY 2029 revenue goals.” said Cristiano Amon, President and CEO at Qualcomm.
Qualcomm Q1 FY 2026 Earnings: Record Revenue, Memory Headwinds
Analyst Take: Qualcomm’s quarter underscores resilient demand in premium/high-tier devices and continued diversification into AI PCs, automotive, and industrial/robotics, even as handset builds face near-term memory constraints. Management’s commentary points to stable end-demand with OEMs tightening inventory and scaling back builds, particularly in China, due to DRAM availability and pricing. Execution across AI-native devices, Snapdragon X platforms, and the digital chassis pipeline should help offset handset volatility, with autos and IoT pacing ahead of long-term targets. M&A moves (Alphawave Semi, Ventana) deepen the company’s data center and RISC‑V CPU roadmap, reinforcing Qualcomm’s push into power-efficient inference and specialized compute.
AI-Native Mobile and Personal AI Devices Momentum
Qualcomm highlighted accelerating momentum in premium/high-tier smartphones and the emergence of AI-native/agentic experiences, including the first agentic AI smartphone from Bytedance powered by Snapdragon 8 Elite. Management expects approximately 75% share in Samsung’s upcoming premium-tier family, supporting flagship positioning and content opportunities. Beyond phones, the company is enabling a new class of personal AI companions across wearables, XR, and audio, underpinned by low-power compute, micro-power Wi‑Fi, ambient sensing, and perception tech. Qualcomm noted collaborations with seven of the nine largest global cloud companies and indicated more than 40 personal AI devices are in production or development, signaling a growing ecosystem pull. This breadth positions Snapdragon to capture on-device AI workloads as agents and AI becomes the user interface. Taken together, Qualcomm is well placed to monetize the shift to AI-native mobile and personal devices.
Snapdragon X PCs and Enterprise AI Compute
In PCs, Qualcomm expanded its second-generation portfolio with Snapdragon X2 Plus for enterprise/commercial, powered by the third-generation Oryon CPU. The X2 Plus claims up to 35% faster single-core and up to 3.5 times faster multi-core performance versus prior-generation competitors, while Hexagon NPU delivers up to 5.7 times and 3.4 times faster inferencing than competitor NPU and GPU, respectively. Eighteen Snapdragon-powered PCs debuted at CES from Asus, HP, Lenovo, and Microsoft, including the Asus Zenbook A16 featuring an 18-core Oryon CPU, 80 TOPS NPU, and up to 2.3 times performance-per-watt gains with more than 21 hours of battery life. Qualcomm remains on track to commercialize 150 Snapdragon X-powered PCs this year, indicating broad OEM intake and platform scaling. These performance and efficiency claims are aligned with on-device AI workloads and enterprise productivity use cases. The expanding Snapdragon X ecosystem underpins Qualcomm’s bid to establish a durable AI PC foothold.
Automotive Digital Chassis and SDV Pipeline
Automotive revenue reached $1.1 billion in Q1 FY 2026 (+15% YoY), marking a second consecutive quarter above one billion dollars in QCT Automotive. Qualcomm signed a letter of intent for a long-term supply agreement with Volkswagen Group spanning brands (including Audi and Porsche), positioning Snapdragon platforms across segments, tiers, and markets. The company expects to be the Group’s primary technology provider for its SDV architecture (via the Rivian JV), and is collaborating with the CARIAD/Bosch automated driving alliance. Additional engagements include Toyota RAV4 (Snapdragon Cockpit), and new/expanded collaborations with Hyundai Mobis, Leapmotor, Li Auto, Zeekr, Great Wall Motor, NIO, and Chery, with 10 design wins for Snapdragon Ride/Cockpit Elite and eight global programs for Snapdragon Ride Flex. Management also emphasized transferable capabilities from ADAS/autonomy to advanced robotics, reinforcing a cross-domain platform approach. The pipeline breadth suggests continued outperformance in automotive as SDV programs scale.
Guidance and Final Thoughts
Management guided Q2 FY 2026 revenue to $10.2–$11.0 billion (consensus estimate: $1102 billion) and non-GAAP EPS to $2.45–$2.65, with QCT revenue of $8.8–$9.4 billion and QTL revenue of $1.2–$1.4 billion, reflecting handset build headwinds from memory supply/pricing. The company forecast QCT handset revenue of approximately $6.0 billion for the quarter, while anticipating IoT growth in the low-teens percentage YoY and automotive growth of greater than 35% YoY; non-GAAP operating expenses are expected to be approximately $2.6 billion. Near term, handset OEMs—especially in China—are reducing chipset orders and channel inventory as DRAM supply is redirected to HBM for AI data centers. Medium term, Qualcomm’s vectors in AI-native devices, PCs, automotive SDV, industrial/robotics, and data center (supported by Alphawave Semi and Ventana acquisitions) provide diversification and operating leverage. For enterprise tech leaders, the key strategic takeaway is to align product roadmaps with on-device AI experiences, AI PC transitions, and SDV architectures to capture content and services growth.
See the full press release on Qualcomm’s Q1 FY 2026 financial results on the company website.
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