Qualcomm CEO Foresees AI Agents Replacing Apps, 40+ New AI-Powered Devices on the Horizon
Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon made a bold prediction this week: AI agents will replace traditional mobile apps as the primary way consumers interact with technology. Speaking on CNBC’s The Tech Download podcast on June 16, 2026, Amon declared that 2026 is “the year of agents” — software that understands human intent and carries out complex tasks without users needing to open, navigate, or manually operate individual apps.
Backing up this vision, Qualcomm revealed it has over 40 new AI-powered device designs in development. These include:
- Smart glasses
- Camera-equipped earbuds
- Wearable pins
- Smart jewelry
- Watches
“The agent will be the one that will understand human intentions and will do things for you,” Amon said. He added that smart glasses shipments — currently in the “tens of millions” annually — could reach hundreds of millions within a couple of years, potentially rivaling the smartphone market.
The announcement carries major implications for Apple and Samsung, whose ecosystems are built around app stores and operating system lock-in. If agent-driven interfaces take hold, the competitive battleground shifts to on-device AI performance — a domain where Qualcomm’s Snapdragon platform is well-positioned. Qualcomm stock gained roughly 4% on the news.