HP and Qualcomm Aim To Prove the Best Defense Is a Great Offense


HP, a stalwart in the computer and printer market, has remained to adjust to the moving tech landscape. With the Covid-driven prime time of increased PC sales over, the decrease– or a minimum of maintaining– of traditional individual computing, raised competition, and a slow sector pivot toward cutting-edge options and new usage designs have hindered its growth. Though fascinating, the business’s foray into 3D printing and venture services has yet to yield considerable dividends, leaving shareholders cynical. On the other hand, Qualcomm, a leader in mobile chipsets, encounters its own collection of challenges.

The mobile phone market has squashed, and its ARM-based silicon options in the laptop area have not shown remarkable appeal yet to many users. Specifically, the maturation of the smart device market and raised competition from rivals have actually restricted its growth prospects. Both firms should browse quickly transforming modern technology fads, such as the increase of 5G and the internet of things (IoT), to reclaim their ground.

Development, diversity, and efficient price administration will certainly be essential for their revival in the technology industry. Despite these obstacles, neither HP nor Qualcomm have taken their foot off the innovation gas pedal. Alluring as that might be from an opex savings perspective, the last few weeks have actually showcased important announcements that underscore each company’s collective belief that innovation is the best way to mitigate the general market’s sluggishness and lethargy.

HP’s ‘Live Better, Work Happier and Dream Bigger’ Mantra The most attention-grabbing announcement made by HP recently wasn’t the introduction of a portable all-in-one computer. The company’s 2024 plan was presented during the HP Imagine 2023 conference, showcasing several exciting new projects and products, some of which are already available for presale. HP President and CEO Enrique Lores and several other HP officials kicked off the event. The business unveiled new devices and video creation peripherals, customer care solutions, and plans for AI integration with enterprise- and consumer-grade laptops and desktops, providing an overview of the company’s product and strategic direction for 2024. Spectre Fold ‘Wow Factor’

The audience at Imagine 2023 was given a tour of the most recent HP accessories and equipment and information on impending releases by Alex Cho, president of personal systems and solutions. Cho presented the HP Spectre Fold, which has a 17-inch screen and can be used as a tablet, laptop, or desktop. While others, notably Lenovo, have jumped into the “foldable” screen laptop space, the Spectre Fold has a few things up its sleeve. With its low-profile keyboard and small size, it appears to be a typical 2-in-1 laptop at first glance. However, the keyboard can be removed to show the other half of the primary display, transforming the device into an all-in-one 17″ desktop.

Pre-orders for the Spectre Foldable PC are underway, with a starting price of $4,999. Envy Move Portable All-in-One PC Cho also unveiled the HP Envy Move, a deceptively mobile all-in-one computer. It has a 23.8-inch display, an integrated handle, a 4-hour battery life, and a storage pocket at the back for the full-size keyboard that comes with it, which also has an integrated touchpad. A 13th-generation Intel Core i5 processor, up to 16GB of RAM, and up to 1TB of storage will be used as core configurable elements of the new HP Envy Move. With a starting price of $899, the Envy Move is also now available for pre-order. HP Targets Video Content Professionals Cho then outlined the most recent products offered by HP’s gaming peripheral division, HyperX.

The business intends to enter the video content creation market with the Vision S webcam and Audio Mixer interface, despite being best known for its headsets, mouse, and keyboards. The 8MP Sony Starvix IMX415 sensor in the Vision S allows for up to 4K resolution at 30 frames per second or up to 60 frames per second at 1080p HD. It also has a magnetic privacy cover and an aluminum body for durability and spy-proofing. Established video streamers, podcasters, and other content producers were consulted on the HyperX Audio Mixer interface design. Aside from its appeal to more prosumer-style users, beginners wishing to improve their video content may also benefit from these solutions. Users may create unique equalizer settings for various devices in addition to their master audio because it can connect to XLR or USB microphones and 3.5 mm audio input.

Poly Acquisition Paying Dividends Cho concluded his presentation by discussing HP’s work with Poly to develop webcams, headsets, and speakers for business conferencing and collaboration. Next up was Dave Shull, HP’s president of Workforce Solutions, who spoke about hybrid work solutions like HP’s first-ever refurbished device resale program and AI-assisted workflow tools that can do everything from compiling complicated strings of code and calculations for data scientists to creating bulleted notes from any work meetings you might miss.

Next year, HP will make its groundbreaking new software platform, HP AI Studio, available to data scientists and other AI professionals to speed up and scale the development of AI models. HP also unveiled a new AI workstation solution that makes creating and altering personal AI models and programs easier. Thanks to a partnership with Nvidia, HP says it will be the first company to market with dedicated enterprise workstation solutions utilizing the Nvidia AI Enterprise software platform in the coming months. Finally, HP’s most recent range of corporate printers, including the HP SitePrint, was unveiled by Tuan Tran, president of image and printing solutions, as he wrapped up the Imagine 2023 conference.

A productivity-enhancing robotic construction printer called SitePrint is intended to paint construction layout blueprints on-site swiftly and precisely, minimizing the possibility of mistakes or delays. The company collaborated with Leica Geosystems, Topcon, and Trimble for the SitePrint robot to be compatible with current survey tools and navigation systems. Tran clarified that the SitePrint would first go on sale in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland on Nov. 1.

However, no release date or introductory pricing for the United States was given. Qualcomm Gears Up AR/VR/MR Silicon Solutions While much of the industry talk since June of this year has focused on Apple’s reveal of its Vision Pro solution, Qualcomm clearly sees an opportunity for those customers outside of the Apple ecosystem, and the chipmaker wants to take advantage of the price umbrella that will be created when Vision Pro becomes available. Recently, Qualcomm unveiled its newest AR/VR/MR ingredient solutions.

The company hopes to provide manufacturers with an expansive and powerful platform for developing comparable solutions in light of the impending emergence of new AR/VR platforms, which has been validated by the announcement of Apple’s Vision Pro. New mixed reality (MR) and virtual reality (VR) products will be made possible by the new Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 and the AR Gen 1. With the latest generation, Qualcomm is concentrating on making it possible for OEMs to create more affordable, small, and light devices without needing a large battery pack. OEMs will have an excellent opportunity to experiment with the new platforms in this market, as a considerable segment of users will be put off by Vision Pro’s $3,500 price point.