[DiaryPoint=Reporter Eom Ju-yong] Qualcomm reported handset revenue of $5.137 billion for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026. That was down 26% from the same quarter a year earlier, highlighting a slowdown in its smartphone chip business alongside rising costs for components such as memory.
According to results released by Qualcomm on November 4, revenue at QCT, its semiconductor business, fell 8% year over year to $9.015 billion. Handset revenue declined from $6.961 billion, while automotive revenue rose 89% to $1.99 billion.
The company said costs across the semiconductor industry are rising in areas including wafer production, assembly and testing, advanced packaging, and memory. Qualcomm is adjusting prices to reflect those increases and expects the measures to be fully reflected in QCT’s gross margin in the second half of fiscal 2027.
The distinction between chip costs and finished-device prices matters when considering smartphone prices, including those of Galaxy phones. Qualcomm’s comments concern prices for its own products; they are not an announcement that Samsung will change Galaxy retail prices in South Korea.
Whether smartphone makers pass changes in chip or memory costs on to customers depends on component mix, supply contracts, exchange rates, and each product’s sales strategy. These results alone do not establish whether or when Galaxy prices in South Korea might rise. Samsung’s new-product pricing announcements are the direct source for consumers to watch.
Qualcomm forecast total revenue of $10.4 billion to $11.2 billion for the next quarter, with QCT revenue projected at $9 billion to $9.6 billion. The company expects its cost adjustments to be fully reflected in the second half of fiscal 2027, leaving component costs and manufacturers’ pricing decisions as factors to watch.