Meta just announced Meta VR Glasses, a 100-gram headset that moves compute and battery into a pocket puck to cut bulk. It features a 5K micro-OLED display, hands-free gesture control, integrated Meta AI, and photorealistic hologram calling for $1,299.99. The device is scheduled to launch in Spring 2027.
Qualcomm just unveiled the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 and Gen 6, bringing on-device support for up to 30-billion-parameter AI models directly to smartphones. That is a massive jump from today's roughly 4B limit, designed to power seamless agentic workflows without relying on the cloud. Next year's Android flagships from Samsung, Xiaomi, and Motorola are already lined up to get them.
Qualcomm researchers just open-sourced MobileWan, compressing Alibaba's 5B-parameter video model to run entirely on commercial smartphones. By pruning attention heads and slashing diffusion to three steps, it generates a 5-second 480p clip in about 20 seconds without touching the cloud.
Qualcomm just unveiled the Snapdragon Reality Elite, packing a 160% jump in NPU performance and 60% faster graphics for next-gen headsets. The chip debuts inside Google and Xreal's upcoming Aura glasses this fall, aiming to run Gemini Live multimodality right on device. Preorders are open now.
Microsoft is preparing to unveil a wave of major updates at Build, led by its first in-house reasoning model, MAI-Thinking-1. The company is also set to showcase a distraction-free Windows 11 developer experience and a unified Copilot super app. Why it matters: Microsoft is leaning heavily into local AI compute on Windows to win back developer trust.
Google just unveiled its Android XR-powered intelligent eyewear at I/O 2026, kicking off with audio glasses landing this fall. Built with Samsung and styled by Gentle Monster and Warby Parker, the frames let you tap or call on Gemini for real-time translation, visual lookups, and multi-step background tasks across Android and iOS.
OpenAI is working on its very own AI-first smartphone aimed at taking on the iPhone, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. The company is reportedly partnering with Qualcomm and MediaTek on processors and tapping Luxshare for manufacturing, targeting mass production by 2028. Why it matters: Rather than replacing phones, OpenAI seems to think agentic AI will redefine them.
Qualcomm just unveiled the Snapdragon Wear Elite, a new 3nm chip built specifically for screenless AI gadgets like pins, pendants, and smart glasses. The processor packs a Hexagon NPU capable of running two-billion-parameter AI models directly on-device at up to 10 tokens per second, cuts GPS power draw by 40 percent, and adds Linux support for startups. Why it matters: Even without a breakout hit in wearable AI yet, major chipmakers are betting the category is worth custom silicon.
Qualcomm just introduced the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5, a lower-cost processor bringing advanced on-device AI features to sub-flagship Android phones. Powered by the company’s Oryon CPU, it supports agentic features like personal contextual suggestions while boosting CPU performance by 36% over the 8 Gen 3. The first devices, including the OnePlus 15R, arrive next month.
Qualcomm just announced an agreement to acquire open-source hardware pioneer Arduino for an undisclosed sum. Alongside the buyout, the two introduced the Arduino UNO Q, powered by Qualcomm's Dragonwing platform, plus a new App Lab development environment. Arduino will keep its independent brand and open spirit, effectively giving 33M+ makers direct access to Qualcomm's edge AI silicon.
Looki just launched the Looki L1, an adorable $199 lifelogging camera shaped like a kitten that hangs around your neck. Powered by Qualcomm’s wearable chip, the 30g device lets you capture photos and videos, ask ChatGPT questions on the go, and auto-edits footage into highlight reels.
Qualcomm just officially announced the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, its next-generation flagship processor focused heavily on personalized, on-device AI. The chip features a third-gen Oryon CPU alongside a Hexagon NPU that runs 37% faster and cuts power draw, paving the way for upcoming Android flagships.
Ming-Chi Kuo revealed that Meta's Hypernova AI glasses are expected to enter mass production in 3Q25, with shipments projected at just 150,000 to 200,000 units over two years. The $800 device leans on AI as its core selling point, but hardware hurdles and an early AR ecosystem make it more of an experimental hedge against Apple.
Qualcomm just unveiled its Snapdragon AR1+ Gen 1 processor at AWE USA, shrinking chip size by 26% while powering on-glass generative AI without relying on a phone or cloud connection. During a live demo on RayNeo X3 Pro frames, it ran a local Llama 1B model entirely offline, taking smart glasses closer to true standalone devices.
Google just shared a closer look at Android XR, bringing Gemini directly onto headsets and lightweight smart glasses. The glasses use cameras and microphones to match your vantage point, demoing live in-person translation and hands-free directions with an optional in-lens display. Google is partnering with Gentle Monster and Warby Parker for consumer frames, with developer access opening later this year.
Google just unveiled Gemma 3n, a mobile-first open model designed to run rich multimodal AI entirely on phones and laptops. Thanks to a new Per-Layer Embeddings technique, its 5B and 8B models operate with dynamic memory footprints of just 2GB and 3GB. Why it matters: it makes complex, private local AI actually fit on everyday hardware.
Microsoft just expanded its Copilot+ PC family with a 12-inch Surface Pro and 13-inch Surface Laptop starting at $799 and $899. Both feature Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Plus chip with a 45 TOPS NPU to power local AI experiences like Recall and Click to Do on more affordable hardware.
Qualcomm just acquired the generative AI division of Vietnamese startup VinAI for an undisclosed sum. Led by former DeepMind researcher Hung Bui, the team builds computer vision algorithms and language models. Marking Qualcomm's second AI buyout this year after Edge Impulse, the move directly fuels its push into on-device AI across smartphones, PCs, and connected vehicles.
Qualcomm just unveiled Dragonwing, a dedicated brand targeting industrial IoT, networking, and enterprise infrastructure. The lineup includes the IQ series packing 100 INT8 TOPS for rugged environments and the Q series optimized for edge AI and Wi-Fi 7. Qualcomm is keeping Snapdragon for consumer gadgets while sending Dragonwing to challenge Nvidia and AMD in factories.
Garmin just won a CES Innovation Award for its next-gen Unified Cabin solution, built alongside Qualcomm's Snapdragon Cockpit Elite platform. The setup uses generative AI to generate personalized cabin themes, brings dedicated voice assistants and audio to every passenger seat, and relies on UWB sensors to detect seat occupancy.
