Qualcomm R&D increased by 0.4% to $2.46B in Q1 2026 compared to the prior quarter. Year-over-year, this metric grew by 11.1%, from $2.22B to $2.46B. Over 4 years (FY 2021 to FY 2025), R&D shows an upward trend with a 5.9% CAGR.
Analysis
StatementIncome Statement
SectionOperating Expenses
CategoryGrowth
SignalContext dependent
VolatilityModerate
First reportedQ1 2014
Last reportedQ2 2026Apr 29, 2026
How to read this metric
Higher spending signals a commitment to innovation and future product launches, whereas significant cuts may indicate a shift toward short-term profitability.
Detailed definition
Research and development expenses represent the costs incurred to discover new products, improve existing technologies,...
Peer comparison
Highly comparable across pharmaceutical and medical device peers, where R&D intensity is a key metric for long-term valuation.
Metric ID:
research_and_developmentHistorical Data
20 periods
| Q3 '21 | Q4 '21 | Q1 '22 | Q2 '22 | Q3 '22 | Q4 '22 | Q1 '23 | Q2 '23 | Q3 '23 | Q4 '23 | Q1 '24 | Q2 '24 | Q3 '24 | Q4 '24 | Q1 '25 | Q2 '25 | Q3 '25 | Q4 '25 | Q1 '26 | Q2 '26 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Value | $1.86B | $1.88B | $1.93B | $2.03B | $2.05B | $2.18B | $2.25B | $2.21B | $2.22B | $2.14B | $2.10B | $2.24B | $2.26B | $2.30B | $2.23B | $2.22B | $2.23B | $2.37B | $2.45B | $2.46B |
| QoQ Change | — | +0.8% | +2.7% | +5.4% | +0.9% | +6.1% | +3.4% | -1.8% | +0.5% | -3.9% | -1.8% | +6.7% | +1.0% | +1.9% | -3.1% | -0.6% | +0.5% | +6.5% | +3.5% | +0.4% |
| YoY Change | — | — | — | — | +10.1% | +15.9% | +16.6% | +8.7% | +8.3% | -2.0% | -6.9% | +1.2% | +1.7% | +7.8% | +6.4% | -0.9% | -1.5% | +3.0% | +10.0% | +11.1% |
Range$1.86B – $2.46B
CAGR+6.0%
Avg YoY Growth+5.6%
Median YoY Growth+7.1%
Current Streak4 quarters growth
R&D at Other Companies
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Qualcomm's r&d?
- Qualcomm (QCOM) reported r&d of $2.46B in Q1 2026.
- How has Qualcomm's r&d changed year-over-year?
- Qualcomm's r&d increased by 11.1% year-over-year, from $2.22B to $2.46B.
- What is the long-term trend for Qualcomm's r&d?
- Over 4 years (2021 to 2025), Qualcomm's r&d has grown at a 5.9% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), from $7.18B to $9.04B.
- What does r&d mean?
- The money spent on creating new products or improving existing ones to drive future growth.