Record fine to have little impact on Qualcomm

Smartphone firms may gain from chip giant's decision to reduce patent licensing charges, report Gao Yuan and Lan Lan. Gao Yuan/Lan Lan

Though Qualcomm Inc has agreed to pay a record fine of about 6.08 billion yuan ($975 million) for antitrust violations, the move is likely to have little impact on the United States-based chipmaker's revenue from China, industry experts said on Tuesday.

Instead, the lower patent fees will help grow the chipmaker's client base and boost earnings in the world's largest smartphone hub.