‘Qualcomm is considering lowering prices of entry-level and midrange SoCs’

Qualcomm is considering lowering the prices of its entry-level and midrange SoCs in 2023. That’s what DigiTimes says. The chip manufacturer would anticipate the decreased demand for cheaper smartphones and would like to further focus on the development of high-end SoCs.

According to DigiTimes Demand for cheaper smartphones is declining because consumers, who typically buy such devices, are feeling the effects of increased global inflation more quickly. Qualcomm would like to anticipate this and sell its entry-level and midrange SoCs at a cheaper price so that it can get rid of its stocks.

The American chip manufacturer is also said to have decided to extend the life cycles of certain product lines. It is not clear which lines those are. This additional decision should minimize any losses the company may incur on the sale of some SoCs. Nothing changes with the high-end chips. Qualcomm would also like to maintain its market share in this category of SoCs.

According to Nikkei, it is not clear whether Qualcomm’s measure will ultimately lead to cheaper smartphones, but the Asian business newspaper does note that MediaTek, one of Qualcomm’s competitors, may also be forced to lower some of its prices for SoCs.