Qualcomm has appointed former Motorola Devices president Sergio Buniac as executive vice president and group general manager of Mobile, Compute and Personal AI, placing him in charge of its smartphone, PC, wearables, XR and new AI device businesses from early September 2026. This leadership change comes as Qualcomm faces rising costs and concerns about reduced iPhone modem share, while it works to expand into data center and AI markets. The appointment is seen as incremental to Qualcomm's diversification thesis, with the key short-term catalyst being the ramp in non-handset revenue and the biggest risk remaining weaker handset demand and share loss to in-house chips at major OEMs. Qualcomm's narrative projects $60.5 billion revenue and $11.5 billion earnings by 2029, requiring 11.1% yearly revenue growth and about a $2.2 billion earnings increase from $9.3 billion today. The most optimistic analysts once projected revenues of about US$63.4 billion and earnings of roughly US$11.9 billion by 2029, so Buniac's arrival may lead investors to reassess whether that kind of acceleration in non-handset growth still feels realistic.
Apple Inc.Qualcomm's reduced iPhone modem share implies Apple's in-house chip gains.
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Qualcomm IncorporatedLeadership change may affect diversification strategy, but impact unclear.
Motorola Solutions Inc