The failure of many chipmakers to challenge Qualcomm in the smartphone chip market is still having ripple effects on many players today, continually shifting the landscape for mobile semiconductors. Even MediaTek, once seen as a danger to the US giant in its core business, now gets only 20% of its revenues from smartphones, while mobile disappointments have driven companies like Intel and Marvell to seek new strategies and new acquisitions. One of many reasons why Broadcom should want to acquire Qualcomm is to make up for its own failure in the mobile modem/processor market, which remains highly strategic – cellular chips should generate both unit volumes, thanks to the wireless IoT, and a revival in margins, thanks to 5G, over…