Intel Corp (INTC)

[Saturn V]

Isn't it reasonable to assume that Qualcomm has as much relative strength in the modem device and NVidia in the graphics, as Intel has in CPU's ?

NVDIA dominates high end graphics, and even that will be in doubt when the Haswell Iris with on chip graphics memory is released. Should have happened by now. But in phones and tablets, which are less graphics intensive, any such lead is irrelevant.

Qualcomm does indeed have a lead in LTE modem technology. Intel already released its XMM 7160 LTE chip, which is being used by the Samsung Tablet. This chip was ranked by an external consultant as the best LTE chip. However Qualcomm leads in having aLTE integrated with the CPU. Intel has a similar product for 2014. Qualcomm is the incumbent and is liable to have better communications IP, and so in the phone space it will be a horse race. However in the tablet space, Intel is likely to dominate in the coming 12 months.

But a big chunk of the mobile space is Apple. Will it switch its tablets and phones to Intel, and when ? Heaven alone knows !