At CES 2026, Qualcomm Inc. (NASDAQ:QCOM) aggressively positioned itself as the central architect of the “connected edge,” providing full-stack ecosystems for IoT, robotics, and automotive sectors.
Unifying IoT and Next-Gen Robotics
Qualcomm is consolidating the fragmented Internet of Things market by leveraging its recent acquisition spree, which includes Arduino and Edge Impulse.
The company launched the Qualcomm Dragonwing Q-series processors.
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By integrating these acquisitions, Qualcomm now empowers a spectrum of users from independent hobbyists to global industrial enterprises to build AI-driven edge solutions.
Moving deeper into “Physical AI,” Qualcomm unveiled the Dragonwing IQ10 Series, a processor designed specifically to serve as the “brain” for industrial Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) and humanoids.
Validating this technology, Figure, a humanoid robot manufacturer, confirmed it actively utilizes Qualcomm’s compute capabilities to process complex physical tasks, allowing it to move robots out of the lab and into the real world.
Accelerating the Software-Defined Vehicle
Qualcomm reaffirmed its dominance in the automotive sector through its Snapdragon Digital Chassis.
The company is driving the industry transition toward “Agentic AI.”
A key pillar of this strategy is the expansion of Qualcomm’s decade-long alliance with Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOGL) Google.
The two companies are integrating Snapdragon hardware with Google’s software, including Gemini Enterprise, to deploy AI agents that manage in-car experiences via voice and visual interaction.
This momentum secured 10 new design wins with major automakers, including Li Auto Inc. (NASDAQ:LI), Zeekr, and NIO Inc. (NYSE:NIO).
Implementing Centralized Architecture and ADAS
In a significant tangible demonstration of this technology, Leapmotor and Qualcomm introduced the D19, the first vehicle globally to launch with a central controller based on dual Snapdragon Elite (SA8797P) chips.
This architecture represents a massive shift away from having dozens of small chips controlling individual windows or radios.
Instead, a single dual-chip system simultaneously runs the dashboard supporting up to eight 4K screens and the automated driving systems processing data from LiDAR and 13 cameras.
The system actively manages “cross-domain” functions.
Qualcomm further strengthened its position in Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) through a collaboration with ZF.
By integrating Snapdragon Ride System-on-Chips (SoCs) into its ProAI supercomputer, ZF allows automakers to deploy scalable driving automation ranging from basic safety features up to Level 3 autonomous driving.
This provides a “turn-key” system that combines Qualcomm’s processing power with ZF’s sensor fusion technology.
QCOM Price Action: Qualcomm shares were up 2.89% at $177.97 at the time of publication on Monday, according to Benzinga Pro data.
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