Qualcomm sees 6G precommercial devices by 2028 with AI sensing

Qualcomm said Wednesday that precommercial devices capable of using 6G networks could be ready as early as 2028, setting a tentative timeline for a next-generation wireless standard the company says will fuse communications, sensing and artificial intelligence to connect cloud services and edge devices. CEO Cristiano Amon delivered the forecast at the company’s Snapdragon Summit in Maui, where he outlined a vision of phones, wearables and augmented reality products operating as intelligent agents linked by low-latency, perceptive networks.

Amon described 6G as more than higher download speeds. He said the architecture will blend traditional communications with sensing capabilities, allowing signals to be used like radar to map surroundings and enable features such as indoor navigation, gesture recognition and smarter city infrastructure. “We are moving from a smartphone-centric environment,” he said, adding that 6G “is designed to be the connection between the cloud and the edge devices.” Qualcomm emphasized that precommercial devices in 2028 will be test units that demonstrate capabilities rather than consumer-ready handsets, and suggested broadly available commercial networks...