Connectivity is everything. This year’s virtual Snapdragon Tech Summit proved it.

Every December for the last few years, we’ve gotten together in beautiful Hawaii with our friends in the mobile industry for the Qualcomm #SnapdragonSummit. Device manufacturers from around the globe, carrier and network partners, startups using our #AI technologies, tech YouTubers, developers, gamers, global press and analysts, members of #TeamQualcomm — and many more. And while I dearly missed the scenery and incredible opportunity to connect in person with our partners and friends, one thing’s for sure: this year’s virtual event wouldn’t have even been possible without the connectivity breakthroughs we’ve made over the years. Technology brought us together, and our livestreams were viewed more than 25 million times.

It’s been very exciting to share our big announcements, especially the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 Mobile Platform, our most advanced platform ever with incredible leaps in AI, camera, gaming, and more. These innovations will make premium smartphones more intelligent, transform photography and video, enable console-quality gaming and fuel the future of enterprise mobility and remote collaboration. But I’ve been thinking a lot about the bigger picture, too. These advances will redefine mobile experiences for the 5G era. This means a premium smartphone can launch a budding photographer’s career, enable coworkers to collaborate effectively from afar, and with 5G connectivity to the cloud, it can help democratize computing. It also means better experiences for connecting and sharing life’s moments with friends and family even when physically distant. But this is just the beginning. There’s so much more to come, including experiences we can’t even imagine yet.

If the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that connectivity is critical. People who never thought it was possible are now working outside of their offices, learning outside of schools, and socializing with friends and family online in brand new ways. Even healthcare has digitally transformed at an astonishing rate, with telemedicine allowing people to safely experience high-quality care from home. Years ago, we envisioned a world where everyone has the power to connect and we’ve been working tirelessly toward it. 

This has been a year like none other, and I’m proud that the work we dedicate our lives to here at Qualcomm is making a real difference when we all need it most. We never imagined our technologies would be called to action in this way, but this year, they feel more special than ever. And, as we get through the pandemic, we look forward to continuing to work with the industry to build on the momentum and these innovations to develop even better ways to connect.  

Thank you so much to everyone who tuned into our first ever all-virtual Snapdragon Tech Summit. I can’t wait for this next-generation of 5G smartphones to make their way into your hands, and I look forward to connecting with you in person in Hawaii next year.

Learn more about the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 Mobile Platform.