Qualcomm CEO: 6G will turn all of us into walking cameras

Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon, speaking in a Fox Business interview, predicted that 6G — expected to roll out in the 2030s — will make camera-equipped smart glasses mainstream, effectively turning users into "walking cameras." Amon has led the American semiconductor company since 2021. Qualcomm's Snapdragon chips have powered Android smartphones throughout the 4G and 5G era.

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Qualcomm's been at the heart of chipmaking for smartphones and mobile devices for years, with its line of Snapdragon chips powering Android smartphones throughout the 4G and 5G era. With 6G set to roll out in the 2030s, the jury's still out on its potential impact. Qualcomm's CEO Cristiano Amon, however, has painted a curious vision.

Every step you take

Amon, who's been in charge of the American semiconductor manufacturer since he was promoted in 2021, outlined how he sees 6G shaping future hardware in an interview on Fox Business .

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The CEO is bullish on smart glasses hitting the mainstream, suggesting that the cameras built into these devices will be continuously streaming video and capture data in real-time (including audio) to feed a user's personal AI.

Where does 6G come into the picture? The technology permits far faster top speeds compared with today's 5G networks. Theoretically, future mobile networks can reach 1Tbps by taking advantage of the sub-terahertz spectrum. This comes alongside minimal latency.

Through the looking glass

Smart glasses have been out of vogue for many years – especially since Google's clunky Google Glass debut. Recently, however, they've found a new lease of life thanks to improving display technology as well as more intuitive and ergonomic form factors.

One of the best examples of this is the longstanding collaboration between Meta and Ray-Ban. Although these glasses look the part, the camera functionality has received plenty of backlash , with some owners even refraining from wearing them in public.

Although the technology might be there with 6G mobile networks, there are still plenty of obstacles in the way of the number of people happy to wear smart glasses for the new form factor to really take off.