At the Snapdragon Summit, Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon sketched out his vision of the near future, spotlighting AI-powered personal devices that together form an “ecosystem of you.” He emphasized how the edge-cloud continuum will enable new agent-driven experiences, with seamless connectivity as the foundation of that shift.
Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon (photo; x @selimozturk)
Amon described it as a “dynamic, adaptive network of intelligence…that’s incredibly exciting.” Even more eye-catching was his 6G outlook: Qualcomm expects 6G to not only deliver next-gen connectivity but also contextual perception, leveraging sensor data from your constellation of personal devices. And the kicker? “It’s sooner than you think,” Amon said, revealing that pre-commercial 6G devices could arrive as early as 2028.
Qualcomm’s role in 3GPP’s standardization process and its deep research contributions give the company strong credibility when it comes to setting expectations — and attaching timelines to them.
3GPP formally began 6G study work earlier this year with Release 20, which covers 5G-Advanced features and early 6G study items. That release is slated for functional freeze in 2027. Release 21 will introduce the first official 6G standards, though no firm schedule has been locked in. Industry consensus points to commercial, standards-based 6G deployments around 2030.
