TECH

6G could spell the end of apps as we use them today

The next major shift in mobile technology may not lie in faster video downloads or quicker website loading times. 6G is taking shape as a network capable of understanding context, connecting devices, and distributing artificial intelligence in real time. If predictions hold true, the way we use our phones could change profoundly by the end of this decade, with fewer apps and more digital agents acting on our behalf.

During the 2026 Mobile World Congress in Shanghai, the conversation around telecommunications took on a more ambitious tone. The industry is no longer talking solely about speed, antennas, and coverage; the focus has shifted to the convergence of artificial intelligence, advanced computing, and next-generation mobile networks.

Against this backdrop, Qualcomm unveiled a plan projecting the first commercial uses of 6G in 2029. The promise goes beyond a more powerful internet; the goal is to create the first mobile architecture with AI embedded from the network core all the way to the user's device.

Geopolitical factors are also driving pressure to accelerate this timeline. In the United States, 6G is now viewed as strategic infrastructure essential for national security, economic competitiveness, and technological influence. Pre-commercial demonstrations are expected to take place during the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.

To achieve this, Qualcomm is collaborating with a network of 58 global partners, including carriers, equipment manufacturers, device makers, and companies specializing in advanced technologies.

The end of apps as we know them... The most significant shift may lie in the relationship between the user and the mobile phone. Today, almost everything relies on opening an app, tapping the screen, performing a search, or manually triggering a function. With 6G, this model may begin to fade.

The industry envisions a seamless digital environment where autonomous AI agents operate in the background. These would be far more than mere chatbots or voice assistants. They would function as systems capable of understanding needs, cross-referencing information, and acting according to the context.

Instead of opening an app to organize a schedule, find a route, compare prices, or reply to messages, the user could rely on an intelligent layer that coordinates these tasks almost invisibly.

For this to work, the network will need to support millions of digital agents operating simultaneously without overloading antennas, servers, or personal devices.

In this future, the mobile phone might cease to be the absolute center of the experience. Smartwatches, earbuds, augmented reality glasses, and personal sensors could play a decisive role.

These devices would act as the eyes and ears of the AI ​​agents. Cameras, microphones, and sensors would capture environmental information, allowing the system to understand where the user is, what they are doing, and what kind of help they need.

Interaction would no longer depend solely on the screen. Voice, gestures, eye movements, and natural commands could become the new interface.

The challenge is immense because these devices have clear physical limitations. Battery life, heat generation, weight, and size prevent complex AI models from always running locally.

Not everything will stay on the phone, nor will everything move to the cloud...The proposed solution involves a distributed computing model. Some simple tasks would be processed directly on the device, offering greater privacy and immediate response times. More complex activities would be sent to servers located near network antennas. Even more demanding requests would be sent to large data centers.

This division would allow the AI ​​to function without perceptible interruptions. A simple request could be handled on the device itself, while heavier analysis would be split between the network and the cloud.

The system would also feature layers of agents. The first would reside on the device, capturing commands and immediate data. The second would operate at the network "edge"—near the antennas—coordinating local tasks. The third would function on central servers, balancing loads and connecting larger models.

One of the most disruptive ideas behind 6G is transforming the network itself into a sort of urban radar. By analyzing radio waves reflected by objects, vehicles, and people, the infrastructure could detect movements in physical space in real time.

This would enable the creation of constantly updated digital twins of entire cities. The technology could assist with traffic management, accident prevention, drone detection, and public infrastructure maintenance.

In the industrial sector, connected robots could instantly share information about their environment. If a machine moved a part within a factory, all other machines would know about it without requiring human intervention.

Technical, financial, and regulatory obstacles remain. Countries with uneven infrastructure, such as Argentina and Brazil, will need to tackle challenges regarding investment, spectrum allocation, and the modernization of existing networks. Even so, the direction seems clear.

6G will not merely be a new generation of mobile internet. It could serve as the foundation for an era in which artificial intelligence moves beyond apps to permeate the environment, connecting objects, people, and decisions in real time.

 

mundophone