Mobile chip maker Qualcomm has reported record revenue and profit for its fiscal fourth quarter, with developing markets helping to drive the business.

The company’s net income for the period was up 20 percent year-on-year to US$1.27 billion. Revenue hit US$4.87 billion, an 18 percent year-on-year improvement.

Qualcomm added 20 new Chinese licensees in 2012 along with its first agreements with Brazilian electronics companies. CFO William Keitel said emerging markets are growing faster than developed markets and are having a larger effect on average selling prices of devices.

CEO Paul Jacobs said increasing global consumption of wireless data across a “diverse range of devices” had driven MSM chipset shipments of 14 million units during the quarter, an 11 percent year-on-year increase. Jacobs added that Qualcomm’s ‘4G portfolio’ is now the most widely licensed in the industry.