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Qualcomm gets some competition as Broadcom enters mobile processor market

Qualcomm gets some competition as Broadcom enters mobile processor market

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Broadcom logo
Broadcom logo

Broadcom, a manufacturer of baseband modules (the chips that let devices communicate with mobile networks), announced today that it has licensed the ARMv7 and ARMv8 mobile processor architectures. Broadcom will use these licenses to develop mobile processors with integrated LTE chips, something that Qualcomm already does. Qualcomm's processors feature integrated LTE modems, a feature that has given it a leg up over competitors such as Nvidia, Texas Instruments, and Samsung. These system-on-chip (SoC) designs are used in many smartphones and tablets currently on the market. Though Broadcom has a long hill to climb to catch up to Qualcomm in the mobile processor space, today's announcement is the first step towards giving the market leader a run for its money.