Akash Palkhiwala on global handset market forecast
From QCOM Stock | QUALCOMM Incorporated Q3 2022 Earnings Call · · AlphaStreet
“we now expect calendar 22 Global handsets to decrease by mid single digit percentage on a year-over-year basis including 650 to 700 million 5G handsets. our guidance reflects the continuation of the trends that adversely impacted handset volumes exiting the June quarter. we expect the elevated uncertainty in the global economy and the impact of covet measures in China will cost customers to act with caution in managing their purchases in the second half of calendar 22.”
On , Akash Palkhiwala, Chief Financial Officer & Chief Operating Officer at Qualcomm Inc, spoke about global handset market forecast during QCOM Stock | QUALCOMM Incorporated Q3 2022 Earnings Call on AlphaStreet.
About Akash Palkhiwala
Akash Palkhiwala, Qualcomm's CFO and COO, discussed the company's strategy and financial performance in several public appearances. In May 2026, he announced the global launch of two new smartphone products designed and developed in India, stating they were "designed for India, designed in India." He described the Indian market as having a "tremendous opportunity" and noted that while overall smartphone unit sales are flat, the market is "premiumizing," with a 24% year-over-year growth in phones over $400 in India. Palkhiwala also addressed the impact of AI demand on memory supply, saying it has "put pressure on the memory supply and pricing" for smartphones, causing OEMs to be cautious. He commented on the risks and opportunities of frontier AI models, stating the industry's role is to "harvest the opportunities to protect against the risk." On Qualcomm's Q2 fiscal 2026 earnings call in April 2026, Palkhiwala reported revenues of $10.6 billion and non-GAAP EPS of $2.65. He noted that QCT handset revenues from Chinese customers are expected to reach a bottom in the third quarter and return to sequential growth, driven by the end of channel inventory drawdowns. Palkhiwala also stated the company returned $3.7 billion to stockholders during the quarter, including $2.8 billion in share repurchases. In a March 2026 keynote, he outlined Qualcomm's vision for 6G, describing it as a "significant architectural shift" that will integrate AI into the network for real-time optimization and improve uplink traffic by 25-30%. He announced a partnership with over 50 companies to work toward 6G deployment.