Smart Glasses Could Be Next Big Consumer Tech; AI Agents To Replace App-Based Tasks, Says CEO

Qualcomm is working on more than 40 different designs of new AI-powered devices. These devices are being developed for a future where AI assistants (or “agents”) will handle many tasks that people now do through apps.

Speaking on CNBC's "The Tech Download" podcast, CEO Cristiano Amon said, "I think there's going to be a lot of experimentation with different form factors. Right now, we have over 40 designs of those devices, and I'm telling you, the types of form factors are very, very broad."

He said smartphones and apps are set to see a major shift as AI becomes more central to consumer devices. He added that smart glasses could emerge as the next major consumer technology, alongside a range of new electronics expected to enter the market in the coming years.

Amon also said that the upcoming wave of devices could include a wide range of wearables and compact electronics, such as glasses, jewellery, earbuds with cameras, pins, and advanced smartwatches. 

He said that these devices will be designed to be worn and used all the time, allowing them to "see the world around you" through sensors and cameras. "The principle is something that you wear, something [that] is with you all the time, something that can see the world around you, so you have context and have the ability for you to access an agent and talk to the agent," he said.

Amon stated that AI agents are the next step beyond digital assistants like Apple Siri and Google Gemini, as they will be able to perform complex, multi-step tasks across apps and services, such as planning and booking entire holidays.

For example, an AI agent can directly show your banking transactions instantly. Instead of opening a banking app, searching menus, and checking details, the AI will understand your request and give the information directly.

Amon said apps will not disappear, but they will change in role. He said AI agents will become the new way people interact with services, calling them "the new app".

He also said smartphones will still exist, but they will no longer be the central device in digital life. Instead, AI agents will become the main control system. 

"The phone is around the agent. The new classes of devices ... are going to be around the agent as well. And the agent will be the one that will understand human intentions and will do things for you, so there is a shift in what the center of gravity is," he added.