Qualcomm Outlines 6G Vision as AI-Native System and the Rise of AI Agent Devices

During Qualcomm's Global 6G Analyst and Media Day, Executive VP Durga Malladi outlined the company's 6G strategy, defining 6G as an AI-native system expected for commercial launch in 2029. He highlighted the emergence of "Agentic AI devices," specifically praising China's Doubao phone as an early example of this trend. The transition to 6G shifts the focus from simple mobile broadband to a unified "computing continuum" where AI reasoning is dynamically distributed across devices, edge networks, and data centers. This evolution will drive hardware innovation, enabling screenless AI-first form factors like smart rings and pendants. Qualcomm is addressing the AI memory bottleneck with its High Bandwidth Compute (HBC) architecture, which stacks DRAM directly on logic dies to offer six times the bandwidth-per-watt of HBM. Additionally, 6G will integrate sensing capabilities directly into the network infrastructure, opening up new commercial models for operators beyond traditional data plans.