Smartphones Can Revolutionize Health Care: Qualcomm CEO
The only computer most people in the world may own is their smartphone and that could have a profound impact on healthcare, Paul Jacobs, Qualcomm CEO, told CNBC's "Closing Bell" n Friday.
Half of the six billion mobile phones in the world right now are in emerging markets and smartphone demand is growing globally as features improve, the wireless tech company CEO said.
"We're still continuing to grow strongly because the smartphone market is growing around the world," Jacobs said.
Qualcomm pointed to emerging markets like China and India in particular as looking strong as 3G and even 4G networks roll out.
As smartphones get cheaper and faster, more people are able to connect to the Internet.
"You think of mobile broadband as something developed countries want," Jacobs said. "In fact, that's the way most people are getting on the Internet now. It's the only computer most people are going to have."
"We really want to get to those people on the bottom of the economic pyramid so we can make sure they have access to the Internet and they can get all the benefits we all see from being connected to the Internet," Jacobs added.
The rise of cheaper smartphones and network-enable devices has major implications for health care around the world. "There's $2.7 trillion being spent on health care in the U.S. and over three-quarters of that is spent on chronic disease management," according to Jacobs. (Read More: Rising Health-Care Premiums Hit Middle Class.)
Mobile health can have an impact on that spending, he said, as it will allow people to better monitor themselves and family members.
Cardiac monitoring can be done through and Apple iPhone, for example, the Qualcomm executive said.
