The Post-Smartphone Era: Qualcomm and Nothing Outline AI-First Visions
The industry control point is shifting from operating systems and app stores to AI agents.
Executives from Qualcomm and Nothing have separately outlined visions for a future in which artificial intelligence agents, rather than smartphones or applications, serve as the primary interface for consumer devices.
Qualcomm's Outlook
Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon stated in a podcast interview that the company is collaborating with AI firms, including OpenAI and Meta, to develop devices that may replace smartphones. Amon described potential future form factors as wearables such as glasses, jewelry, pins, and pendants. He said these devices would center on an autonomous AI agent rather than a phone.
Key Details from Amon's Statements
- Qualcomm plans to provide silicon for AI consumer hardware.
- Amon described an "ecosystem of you" comprising glasses with cameras, earbuds, and an agent operating across devices.
- He expects AI agent-enabled devices to reach the market in 2025 and become widespread by 2027-2028.
- He cited ByteDance's Doubao Mobile Assistant, launched on a ZTE-made handset in December, as an early proof of concept. The initial run of about 30,000 units sold out; a second-generation device is planned for Q2 2026.
- Amon stated that the industry control point is shifting from operating systems and app stores to AI agents.
Background on Smartphone Reports
Prior to the interview, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported that Qualcomm and MediaTek were jointly designing a chip for an OpenAI smartphone, with Luxshare handling manufacturing. Kuo projected mass production for 2028 at 300-400 million units annually. Qualcomm shares rose up to 13% on the report, which neither company confirmed.
A subsequent May 5 note from Kuo indicated the phone chip might be awarded to MediaTek alone, with mass production accelerated to early 2027. Amon's statements about non-phone hardware present a different focus than the smartphone-centric Kuo report.
Nothing's Vision
Carl Pei, co-founder and CEO of Nothing, presented a vision for a device powered by AI agents that would move beyond the current app-centric model. Pei made these remarks during an interview at the SXSW conference in Austin.
Applications are expected to disappear, a change he said would impact startups centered around app value.
Nothing previously secured $200 million in Series C funding last year, partly based on this vision of a new type of smartphone utilizing AI and personalization technology.
Evolution of AI Features
Pei outlined the developmental steps for AI-first devices:
- Initial Step: AI features that execute commands on a user's behalf, such as booking flights. Pei described this as "super boring."
- Next Step: AI learning user intentions over time and proactively offering suggestions to help achieve goals, similar to advanced memory features in conversational AI.
- Future Vision: A device that autonomously acts on user intentions without requiring explicit commands.
Pei contrasted this future with the current smartphone experience, which he described as largely unchanged for 20 years, retaining elements like lock screens, home screens, and individual apps. He noted the inefficiency of current phones, where simple intentions like arranging coffee with someone require navigating multiple applications (messaging, maps, ride-sharing, calendar).
He emphasized that future operating systems should be designed to understand user intentions and execute tasks directly via AI, rather than users manually interacting with numerous apps. This would require an interface optimized for AI agents, not human navigation.
Pei cautioned that apps will not disappear immediately. Nothing's operating system currently supports user-developed mini-apps. However, he believes the long-term future requires creating interfaces specifically for AI agents to interact frictionlessly, rather than agents mimicking human interaction with existing app interfaces.