On the evening of October 27th, Qualcomm announced the launch of artificial intelligence chips AI200 and AI250, officially entering the data center market. The above-mentioned chips are expected to be put into commercial use in 2026 and 2027, respectively. This move also means that Qualcomm has officially launched a challenge to the AI computing field where Nvidia is located. As of the 27th, Qualcomm's stock price was $193.48 per share, up $24.54 or 14.53% from the previous trading day. After the announcement, the company's increase expanded to over 20%, marking the largest intraday increase since 2019.
In the details announced on Qualcomm's official website, AI200 and AI250 are solutions based on chip acceleration cards and racks, both using their neural processing unit (NPU) technology. Each card is equipped with 768 GB of LPPDR memory to provide higher memory capacity and lower cost. The Qualcomm AI200 and AI250 are expected to be commercially available in 2026 and 2027, respectively. Among them, the AI200 chip can be used as a standalone component, an expansion card that can be inserted into existing devices, or as part of a full machine rack server provided by Qualcomm.
Although Qualcomm is still primarily focused on mobile phone chips, the company has been working hard in recent years to expand its revenue sources. Compared to the era when Intel went from PCs to servers and opened up its computing empire with "Intel Inside," Qualcomm is attempting to achieve more profits by promoting the large-scale implementation of AI technology. Some believe that Qualcomm's entry is changing the competitive landscape of the AI chip market. But some analysts believe that Qualcomm will not cause changes to businesses such as Nvidia and the existing landscape.
