Qualcomm Launches Two New Smartphone Chips Focused on Agentic AI
During its annual Snapdragon Summit in Maui, Hawaii, Qualcomm (QCOM) unveiled two new flagship smartphone chips: the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 and the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6. These processors are designed to support agentic AI capabilities directly on devices, aiming to offer users a more cost-effective alternative compared to cloud-based solutions. Qualcomm's strategy emphasizes bringing advanced AI experiences closer to consumers through its multi-flagship approach, enabling broader adoption across premium Android smartphones from brands like Xiaomi and Motorola (MSI). The company is also working to diversify beyond the smartphone market by expanding into areas such as edge devices and data centers. At an investor day in June 2026, Qualcomm outlined plans that nearly doubled its projected non-handset revenue for fiscal year 2029 to $40 billion. Despite these efforts, smartphones remain a core part of Qualcomm's business. In the July quarter, handset-related sales reached $5.1 billion out of total revenues of $9.9 billion.
Topics: agentic AI AI Qualcomm strategy semiconductor chips smartphones