Can Qualcomm Stay Ahead of Intel and Nvidia?

As it stands, Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) is a champion in the mobile chip manufacturer ring, but more recognized brands may step up as challengers in short time.

If a group of people heard the word “Intel” or “Samsung,” a good number of them would probably light up with recognition. “Nvidia” might generate fewer responses, but “Qualcomm” would probably be the least recognized of the four, despite the fact that its processors go into an ever growing number of mobile devices and have particular dominance in LTE.

Last year, 47 million LTE-capable chips were shipped, and Qualcomm was responsible for 86 percent of those. Samsung (SSNLF.PK) managed to snatch up 9 percent, which went to its own handsets. That statistic shows a clear LTE market dominance for Qualcomm, and as the 4G LTE network is the hot choice for smartphone users, it’s an important market for manufacturers.

However, Qualcomm’s dominance may not last, as more recognized brands are planning to step into the LTE-capable chip market — among them are Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) and Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA), which both won wide recognition with laptop and desktop computer processors, though Nvidia has been particularly known for graphics processors.