Qualcomm Said to License Huawei Patents Tied to LogicFolding

Qualcomm has reportedly reached a deal to license Huawei patents behind the LogicFolding chip-stacking method and to purchase specific Huawei U.S. patents, according to a Bloomberg report. The multiyear cross-license agreement covers 5G devices, AI services, near- and co-packaged optics and networks, a Huawei spokesperson told Bloomberg.

Under the reported terms, Qualcomm would also buy selected Huawei U.S. patents in the areas of compute, AI and networking. The deal remains subject to approval, and Qualcomm would reportedly pay Huawei to license its patents for the first time.

Neither company's announcement named any patents, LogicFolding, or any chip that uses it. The LogicFolding connection therefore rests on the Bloomberg report rather than on a confirmation from Qualcomm or Huawei.

Background

The Kirin 9050 Pro uses LogicFolding technology and appears in the Huawei Mate XT 2 tri-fold smartphone, which launched on Sept. 7. LogicFolding was first unveiled on May 25 by He Tingbo, president of Huawei's semiconductor business, at IEEE ISCAS 2026 in Shanghai.

Huawei's roadmap includes Kirin 2027 at a 1-micrometer pitch and more than 100 million interconnects, with the company targeting a 1.4nm-class density by 2031 and LogicFolding in the Ascend 990 AI accelerator around 2030.