[News] MediaTek and Qualcomm Race for Bigger AI Roles Through NVIDIA N1X, ASICs, and Dragonfly

As AI reshapes the semiconductor landscape, MediaTek and Qualcomm are seeking to capture a larger share of next-generation AI computing markets. According to Commercial Times, MediaTek has expanded its AI footprint through its partnership with NVIDIA on the N1X AI PC processor and its entry into the AI ASIC supply chain. Meanwhile, Qualcomm is advancing its AI ambitions with its Snapdragon and Dragonwing platforms, as well as its Dragonfly AI server initiative.

MediaTek Pushes Deeper Into AI PCs and Custom Silicon

At GTC Taipei, NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang announced RTX Spark laptops powered by the N1X processor. As highlighted by the report, the system is built on TSMC’s 3nm process, with MediaTek responsible for chip design and system integration, while Inventec handles assembly. The collaboration marks a key step for MediaTek as it expands beyond smartphone chips and secures a foothold in the AI PC market, while also highlighting NVIDIA’s reliance on Taiwan’s semiconductor supply chain for its Windows on Arm strategy.

Beyond AI PCs, MediaTek has also been expanding aggressively into the AI ASIC market in recent years. Sources cited by the report say MediaTek will be responsible for the I/O die design and part of the backend packaging integration for Google’s next-generation TPU project, a move that could further expand its footprint in the data center ASIC business.

Notably, at its annual shareholders’ meeting in late May, MediaTek said its AI ASIC business is expanding rapidly. According to Liberty Times, the company is targeting US$2 billion in ASIC revenue this year and expects revenue to reach several billion dollars next year.

Qualcomm Broadens Its AI Push Across Devices and Data Centers

While MediaTek expands its AI footprint, Qualcomm is advancing on multiple fronts as well. As Commercial Times notes, CEO Cristiano Amon said Snapdragon and Dragonwing now power applications ranging from AI PCs and personal AI devices to smartphones, industrial AI, robotics, and data centers.

As part of its push into AI infrastructure, Qualcomm officially introduced Dragonfly as its dedicated data center brand, according to The Elec. Unveiling the brand during his Computex 2026 keynote in Taipei, Amon said the company is working with hyperscalers to deploy Dragonfly products at industrial scale. Qualcomm states that it plans to release a detailed product roadmap later this month, as The Elec notes.

The Elec states that Qualcomm’s data center roadmap spans three product categories: CPUs, AI inference accelerators, and ASICs. Its inference accelerator lineup includes the AI200 and AI250 chips unveiled in October last year. The AI200 is slated for release this year, while the AI250 is expected to follow in 2027.

Qualcomm is also preparing to ship its first data center ASIC later this year. According to Bloomberg, sources say the company has secured a deal with ByteDance, the owner of TikTok, to supply chips for AI data centers. ByteDance is expected to purchase millions of Qualcomm’s ASICs, marking a significant step in Qualcomm’s expansion into custom AI silicon.

Read more

• AI Compute Demand Drives 44% YoY Growth for Top 10 Global Fabless IC Firms in 2025, Says TrendForce
• [News] NVIDIA Enters PC Market with RTX Spark Featuring MediaTek-Co-Designed N1X CPU on TSMC 3nm

(Photo credit: Qualcomm)