2012 was a wonderful year for Qualcomm (QCOM 0.73%). The numbers around the company speak for themselves. In fiscal 2012, Qualcomm accomplished the following:
- It grew revenue by 32%,
- gross profit was up 25%,
- it held onto a majority of baseband revenue,
- and it kept its dominant lead in mobile processors.
Not only that, but its hugely profitable licensing business grew by 17% amid surging smartphone sales. Qualcomm gets a lot of attention for being a key Apple supplier, but in reality the company is a major play on smartphone and tablet growth, regardless of shifting market share between competitors like Google and Apple.
In the video below, Fool technology analyst Eric Bleeker looks at a couple key storylines surrounding the company in 2013. Not only will Qualcomm have a chance to increase its presence in the booming tablet market, but it'll also have to defend a new generation of competitors battling in the smartphone chip space.
