Qualcomm says AI agents will push smartphones aside by 2026
Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon predicts that AI agents will become mainstream by 2026, leading to the decline of smartphones as the primary personal device. He states that Qualcomm's technology, including chips and 4G/5G/6G networks, will be integral to this shift towards AI-powered wearable devices.
Key Takeaways
- Cristiano Amon says 2026 is the year AI agents go mainstream.
- Amon argues the smartphone’s reign as the primary device is ending.
- Qualcomm says its chips are already inside many major smart device manufacturers’ products.
- Amon points to 4G, 5G, and soon 6G networks as part of the shift.
- He says Qualcomm technology will be integral to AI-powered wearable devices.
Why It Matters
If Amon is right, the device stack that matters most is moving from the smartphone to AI wearables and the networks that support them. For Qualcomm, that means its role spans both silicon and connectivity, from phone chips to 4G, 5G, and soon 6G. The competitive signal here is not a product launch but a platform transition: the company is framing AI agents as the driver. Watch for Qualcomm’s next comments on wearable form factors and any concrete 6G timeline it attaches to this thesis.
Read full article at fortune.com