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Smartphones could soon do more than wait for users to unlock the screen and give commands. At the Snapdragon Summit 2026 in Maui, Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon mentioned that the industry is moving into an ‘agentic age,’ where AI becomes a key part of how people use their phones. Modern agents understand what users want, plan the steps, and complete tasks across apps and online services.
During his speech, he said, “We are going from a phone-centric model to an agent-centric model. Going forward, agents will become the center of experience. We can finally see what an AI phone truly means.” Notably, Qualcomm unveiled two new mobile platforms: Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Extreme, which support his statements.
The idea is different from simply asking an AI chatbot a question. An AI agent could handle a task from start to finish. Even without users unlocking their smartphones, AI bots can check calendars and notify them of scheduled tickets or other events. Amon said future Snapdragon chips are designed to handle large amounts of AI work locally, which could reduce the need to send every task to the cloud.
There is another side to this shift. An AI that acts for the user may need access to more personal information. Calendars, messages, shopping details, and other data could help an agent understand what a person wants. However, user permission is still important.
Amon mentioned, “The permission to use will be very important. And, so is context. Because the phone is very personal and specific to you. Agentic AI will need your phone to do a lot more than just execute tasks for you.”
Also Read: Qualcomm's Next Snapdragon Chip Hits 5GHz: Why Does It Matters?
This could change the role of the smartphone. Instead of controlling every step, users may only need to approve key actions. The phone would handle the rest in the background. Qualcomm sees this idea reaching beyond smartphones too. PCs, smart glasses, wearables, and cars could work together and share tasks.
Agentic AI could make phones faster and easier to use. At the same time, users will want to know what their devices can access and when they are allowed to act. As phones take on more tasks, clear permission and user control will become just as important as AI performance.
