Qualcomm is enjoying its time as the current tech darling after announcing its fourth-quarter earnings Wednesday. Positive numbers have allowed the semiconductor company to push forward with its ideal 5G narrative. Qualcomm was in the center of the 5G rollout in 2019, particularly in the U.S. This momentum is expected to only increase in the coming year.

Qualcomm discussed its collaboration with over 40 manufacturers and 30 operators carriers on the development of 5G, not only of hardware products but also building out the network infrastructure. At this time last year, the chipmaker was working with 20 manufacturers.

Qualcomm will be in charge of over 230 5G design contracts for products to be released in the coming year, focusing on 5G Sub 6 and millimeter-wave technologies. The company expects to be involved in the production of between 175-225 million 5G handsets during the 2020 calendar year.

Newly appointed Chief Financial Officer, Akash Palkhiwala detailed that Qualcomm will be involved with high profile 5G hardware deployment in the spring and fall of 2020, naming Samsung and several Chinese manufacturers among those launching devices earlier in the year. This has to lead many to believe there may be a 5G iPhone in the fall 2020 pipeline, though the prospect remains unconfirmed. However, CEO, Steve Mollenkopf confirmed that Qualcomm’s licensing agreement with Apple is strong and benefitting the business as a whole.

This comes after Qualcomm and Apple resolved their legal battles earlier this year. Many note that the iPhone maker may not be ready to deploy its own 5G chips until at least 2021. With Intel having also announced its departure from the 5G business earlier this year, Qualcomm may be Apple’s best bet for enabling 5G onto iPhones sooner rather than later. There are several other manufacturers in the 5G chip game, including MediaTek, Samsung, Huawei. However, Apple’s relationship with these companies may be even more precocious than its dealings with Qualcomm.

Many analysts are looking positively at the 5G device prospects, especially if Apple is involved, Reuters noted. However, other suppliers that cater to more international markets may have even higher device projections for the coming year. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co, in particular, could supply 5G components to some 300 million hardware units if reports are accurate.

However, Qualcomm is likely still more optimistic than not after overall exceeding even its own expectations following a dicey third quarter. The manufacturer truly began to feel the implications of the U.S. Huawei ban. The company also acknowledged its stiff competition in markets, such as China, where 5G is already more developed. Additionally, Qualcomm has had to deal with balancing continued demand for 4G with increasing 5G prospects.