Qualcomm Unveils New Snapdragon Chips to Power AI Agents on Mobile and PC
Key Points
- Qualcomm launched a new Snapdragon generation featuring Oryon CPUs and higher token‑processing speeds.
- The chips deliver up to 80 AI TOPS, nearly double the performance of the previous X Elite series.
- AI agents can run on‑device large language models, accessing local documents, images, and apps.
- Mobile agents will use smaller, integer‑based models; PC agents will favor cloud‑based, floating‑point models.
- Manufacturers must still create user interfaces that integrate the AI‑agent capabilities.
- Early demos show a browser‑style prompt window with predefined templates for various tasks.
Qualcomm announced a new generation of Snapdragon processors designed to enable AI agents on smartphones and laptops. The chips feature upgraded Oryon CPUs, higher token‑processing speeds, and increased AI TOPS performance, allowing on‑device large language models to run faster and more efficiently. Executives highlighted the potential for personalized assistants that can access local documents, images, and apps, improving productivity and accessibility. While the hardware advances remove a major barrier, Qualcomm emphasizes that manufacturers must still integrate the AI‑agent interfaces into their products.
New Snapdragon Processors Target AI Agents
At its recent Snapdragon Summit, Qualcomm introduced a new line of Snapdragon chips aimed at delivering AI‑agent capabilities to both mobile devices and personal computers. The processors incorporate Qualcomm's Oryon CPU architecture, which replaces the previous Arm‑based Kryo cores, and they boast a substantial increase in token‑processing speed, enabling faster interaction with large language models.
Performance Gains Enable On‑Device AI
According to Qualcomm executives, the latest Snapdragon chips can handle a higher number of tokens per second compared to earlier generations, reducing latency that can cause users to lose interest. The chips also deliver nearly double the AI TOPS (trillions of operations per second) of the previous X Elite series, offering up to 80 TOPS. These improvements are positioned to support more complex generative AI tasks directly on the device.
AI Agents for Phones and Laptops
Qualcomm envisions AI agents that can search across apps, personal data, and local documents to answer user queries. On phones, the agents would rely primarily on integer‑based, on‑device models with smaller parameter counts due to power constraints. On PCs, the agents would lean toward cloud‑based models that can handle larger, floating‑point‑based workloads, making them suitable for enterprise productivity tasks such as code generation.
Integration Remains the Next Step
While the hardware advancements remove a key obstacle, Qualcomm notes that device manufacturers must still design and integrate the AI‑agent interfaces. Early demonstrations, such as a PC with a browser‑style prompt window offering predefined templates, illustrate one possible user experience. The company stresses that broader adoption will depend on how seamlessly manufacturers embed these capabilities into everyday workflows.
Outlook
Qualcomm’s leadership expressed optimism that the new Snapdragon chips will accelerate the adoption of AI agents, making devices more powerful, personalized, and accessible. The company sees these advances as a foundation for future products that can automate mundane tasks, enhance productivity, and broaden the reach of generative AI across both mobile and desktop platforms.