Qualcomm CEO predicts 2026 will be year of AI agents

Cristiano Amon, Qualcomm CEO, said at MWC Barcelona that 2026 will be the year of AI agents.

Amon argued agents will need vast amounts of data and real-time context, and will shift the digital ecosystem from smartphone- and app-centric models to agent-centric ones.

Qualcomm unveiled the Snapdragon Wear Elite chipset at MWC, designed for on-device AI in smaller wearables.

Qualcomm said Samsung Electronics Co., Alphabet Inc.’s Google, and Lenovo Group Ltd.’s Motorola have already committed to building products using the Wear Elite, with the first devices expected sometime in the summer.

Luca Rossi, Lenovo executive vice president, said the company wants to be the “orchestrator” of incoming data with its AI “super agent” called Qira.

Amon suggested wearables such as smartwatches, smart glasses, or wearable cameras could become as important as smartphones by providing continuous environmental awareness for agents.

🔗 Source: Bloomberg

🧠 Food for thought

Implications, context, and why it matters.

Qualcomm’s AI agent vision is backed by a leap in wearable hardware

Snapdragon Wear Elite underpins Qualcomm’s plan for on-device AI in smaller wearables 1.
Samsung Electronics Co., Alphabet Inc.’s Google, and Lenovo Group Ltd.’s Motorola plan to build devices with Wear Elite, with initial products expected in the summer 2.

A new battleground for personal computing emerges beyond the smartphone

At MWC Barcelona, Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon called 2026 the year of AI agents, adding that agents will rely on large data flows plus real-time context 3.
Amon expects agents to move the digital ecosystem away from smartphone and app hubs toward agent-led experiences 4.
Wearables including smartwatches, smart glasses, and wearable cameras may match smartphones in importance by feeding agents continuous awareness of nearby activity 5.
Lenovo executive vice president Luca Rossi described Lenovo’s goal as coordinating incoming data through its AI “super agent” called Qira 3.