Qualcomm
San Diego chipmaker behind Snapdragon 5G modem-RF systems, FastConnect Wi-Fi, Dragonwing RAN accelerators and a large cellular patent licensing business. Chips sold to device makers, tools under NDA.
| Organisation | QUALCOMM Incorporated, a Delaware corporation headquartered in San Diego, California |
|---|---|
| Website | www.qualcomm.com/ |
| Licensing | Proprietary chips, firmware and diagnostic tools (QXDM Professional and QCAT by annual subscription after an NDA); Linux ath11k and ath12k Wi-Fi drivers under BSD-3-Clause-Clear, ath10k under ISC; cellular standard-essential patents licensed by QTL for per-unit royalties |
| Pricing | No public price list for chips; QXDM Professional subscriptions are quoted by Qualcomm sales |
| Updated | 15 Nov 2026 |
Products and offerings #
| Name | Kind | Positioning |
|---|---|---|
| Qualcomm X105 5G Modem-RF | chipset | 5G modem-RF system, 14.8 Gbit/s peak download and 4.2 Gbit/s peak upload, 3GPP Release 19-ready, according to Qualcomm |
| Qualcomm X85 5G Modem-RF | chipset | 5G modem-RF system with 3GPP Release 18 support, up to 12.5 Gbit/s peak download with sub-6 GHz and mmWave, according to Qualcomm |
| FastConnect 8800 | chipset | Wi-Fi 8 (IEEE 802.11bn) system with 4x4 Wi-Fi, 11.6 Gbit/s peak PHY rate, Bluetooth, UWB and Thread, according to Qualcomm |
| Dragonwing X100 Accelerator Card | module | PCIe inline accelerator for 5G L1 in Open RAN servers, O-RAN 7.x splits, 3-sector 64T64R massive MIMO |
| Qualcomm 212S | chipset | IoT modem using 3GPP Release 17 5G IoT-NTN satellite connectivity for stationary devices |
| Dragonwing RB3 Gen 2 Development Kit | dev-board | QCS6490-based board with Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2, Linux and Android support |
| QXDM Professional | software | Diagnostic monitor for Qualcomm modem logs, sold with QCAT and QPST as an annual subscription |
Who they are
This hub is for engineers who design devices around Qualcomm modems, analyse logs from Qualcomm-based phones, or follow how cellular standards turn into silicon. QUALCOMM Incorporated is headquartered in San Diego. According to its annual report on Form 10-K, it was incorporated in California in 1985 and reincorporated in Delaware in 1991. The business has two sides that matter here. QCT develops and supplies integrated circuit platforms, which include the modems and connectivity chips on this page. QTL licenses Qualcomm’s patent portfolio, including patents that implement LTE and OFDMA-based 5G standards.
Tooling and APIs
What you install. Unlike the SDR vendors, Qualcomm does not sell a radio you program at the sample level. You meet its chips inside phones, modules and access points, and you work with them through the device maker’s software and Qualcomm’s diagnostic tools. There is no GNU Radio or SoapySDR support and no public IQ interface.
Modems. The X105 was announced on 2 March 2026. According to Qualcomm, it reaches 14.8 Gbit/s peak download and 4.2 Gbit/s peak upload and is ready for 3GPP Release 19, with devices expected in the second half of 2026. The previous X85 supports Release 18 and reaches up to 12.5 Gbit/s according to its product brief. Peak figures assume ideal conditions and a network that supports every feature. See spectral efficiency for why field rates are lower.
Wi-Fi. FastConnect 8800 is Qualcomm’s first Wi-Fi 8 system, built to the IEEE 802.11bn draft. Its product brief gives an 11.6 Gbit/s peak PHY rate from a 4x4 radio. It also lists Bluetooth High Data Throughput, which the brief says is based on a working draft of a possible Bluetooth specification. See the Wi-Fi hub.
Infrastructure and IoT. The Dragonwing X100 card offloads the 5G physical layer in Open RAN servers and supports O-RAN 7.x splits, according to its product brief. See O-RAN. The Qualcomm 212S targets stationary IoT devices over 3GPP Release 17 IoT-NTN satellite links. See satellite and NTN.
Diagnostics. QXDM Professional is Qualcomm’s diagnostic monitor for its modems, and QCAT is its companion analysis tool. According to the customer guide, access starts with an NDA, then a licence agreement and purchase order, and licences are annual subscriptions. Prices are quoted by Qualcomm sales.
Open source. Qualcomm maintains the Linux ath11k and ath12k Wi-Fi drivers. The kernel sources carry the BSD-3-Clause-Clear licence. The older ath10k is under ISC. Qualcomm Linux, its Yocto-based distribution for Dragonwing boards, is the route for embedded Linux work. The RB3 Gen 2 kit runs Linux and Android. We could not confirm from a public page whether Qualcomm’s flashing and diagnostic tools run on a macOS host.
Licensing and pricing at the time of writing. Chips are sold to device makers under contract, with no public price list. QTL charges per-unit royalties, based on a percentage of the device’s wholesale selling price, according to the 10-K.
Migration notes
- Module, not chip. Many product teams buy a certified module built on a Qualcomm modem rather than the chip. The module maker’s AT command set and firmware then become your interface, and they differ between module makers.
- From an SDR prototype. An algorithm proven on a USRP B210 cannot be loaded into a Qualcomm modem. Use the SDR to test the receiver side and network behaviour, and the commercial device to measure what it reports.
- Log access. QXDM and QCAT need a licence, so a lab without one cannot open the logs. Plan your analysis around what your licence and your device maker give you.
Watch for
- Peak rates. Every Gbit/s figure on this page is Qualcomm’s peak under ideal conditions. Measure in your band and with your network.
- Release readiness. “Release 19-ready” describes the modem. A network must also support the features before they work.
- 6G claims. The 10-K expects first 6G specifications in 2029 or 2030 and describes an AI-native platform. That is Qualcomm’s research and standards view. See 6G and research.
- Patent licences. Selling a cellular device usually needs standard-essential patent licences, Qualcomm’s among them. Budget for it early.
- Draft standards. IEEE 802.11bn was still at draft stage in the IEEE 802.11 timelines at the time of writing, and Bluetooth High Data Throughput is a working draft. Check final compliance once the standards are approved.