Qualcomm Considers Collaboration with ByteDance for Custom Chips Design

Qualcomm, a leading smartphone modem provider, is exploring the possibility of designing custom chips for ByteDance, a move aimed at navigating a shrinking phone market and demonstrating US chipmakers’ continued interest in Chinese markets. Looking to position itself as a chip designer in the AI era, Qualcomm could potentially become the custom chip service provider for ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, according to sources familiar with the matter. The negotiations revolve around Qualcomm’s provision of tailored chip-design services to ByteDance, incorporating technology from AlphaWave Semi, a company acquired by Qualcomm last year. The talks specifically involve video processing units…