Intelligent Devices

AI at the Edge: Redefining the Future of Intelligent Devices

Futurum covers a broad range of AI-enabled consumer and commercial devices. This includes PCs and peripherals, tablets,  mobile handsets, XR, hearables and wearables, as well as IoT, IIoT, automotive, and robotics segments. The expansion of AI  training and inference from a cloud-centric model to a more hybrid edge-to-cloud model is driving a rapid transformation  across the devices segment of the tech stack. With next-gen AI-capable PCs, mobile handsets, and wearables now capable of handling increasingly large AI models, AI and agentic workloads are beginning to expand from thermally expensive cloud-based silicon to the more thermally efficient silicon powering AI-capable consumer and commercial devices.  

The next 6 to 12 months will see a significant acceleration in AI capabilities in devices, and will see the start of an expansion  towards physical AI, which includes robotics. This transition will disrupt not only core device segments but the entire  technology ecosystem around them as silicon vendors, cloud service providers (CSPs), independent software vendors (ISVs),  and their partners adapt to new use cases, form factors, and hybrid, interwoven AI services models. 

Additionally, the Intelligent Devices practice will also work with adjacent practices to 1) clearly map how AI orchestration will work across platforms and form factors up and down the entire technology stack, 2) validate the roadmaps of the most critical vendors in the accelerating robotics segment, and 3) quantify potential impacts of memory and storage supply chain constraints on key AI device segments. 

When working on strategy, product, marketing, and sales initiatives, consider intelligence from our expert analysts – planned deliverables for 2026 include:

  • Market Data – bi-annual market sizing & five-year forecast  
  • Decision-Maker Survey – bi-annual IT Decision Maker survey  
  • Analyst Insight Report – a report on critical issues in the industry  
  • State of the Market Report – a report on technology, markets, products, and vendors
  • Futurum Signal Report Access – any Signal Report published in the relevant practice area

The Latest Insights On Intelligent Devices

SiTime's Nasdaq IPO Puts MEMS Timing at the Center of AI Infrastructure

SiTime’s Acquisition of Renesas Timing Division: A Strategic Leap in Timing Solutions

Olivier Blanchard, Research Director & Practice Lead, Intelligent Devices at Futurum, analyzes how SiTime's acquisition of Renesas' timing business consolidates [...]
The Software-Defined Vehicle is Winning the Compute War and Losing the Owner

The Software-Defined Vehicle is Winning the Compute War and Losing the Owner

Futurum analysts Olivier Blanchard and Brad Shimmin on the moment the car stopped being a car, and why the sharpest [...]
Intel Q2 FY 2026: Hyperscaler Server Demand Drives 59% DCAI Growth

Intel Q2 FY 2026: Hyperscaler Server Demand Drives 59% DCAI Growth

Futurum Research analyzes Intel’s Q2 FY 2026 earnings, focusing on AI-driven server CPU demand, foundry execution, AI PCs, and higher [...]
STMicroelectronics Q2 FY 2026 Earnings Climb on Cloud AI and Satellite Strength

STMicroelectronics Q2 FY 2026 Earnings Climb on Cloud AI and Satellite Strength

Brendan Burke, Research Director at Futurum, reviews STMicroelectronics' Q2 FY 2026 earnings, the broad demand recovery, and the raised AI [...]
Tesla's Cash Burn: Is the AI Gamble Worth the Risk?

Tesla’s Cash Burn: Is the AI Gamble Worth the Risk?

Olivier Blanchard, Research Director & Practice Lead, Intelligent Devices at Futurum, Tesla faces mounting pressure to sustain AI and robotics [...]
Will NXP’s SAF9800 AI Audio Processor Become the Ears of the Car

Will NXP’s SAF9800 AI Audio Processor Become the Ears of the Car?

Brendan Burke, Research Director at Futurum, shares insights on NXP’s SAF9800 launch and why AI audio processing could make microphones [...]

The Latest NEWS

Buyers Are Trading Up 80% More Likely to Buy AI PCs as Traditional PCs Stall at 47%
June 23, 2026

Buyers Are Trading Up: 80% More Likely to Buy AI PCs as Traditional PCs Stall at 47%

Enterprise buyers are trading up: 80% of IT decision makers are more likely to buy AI PCs than six months ago, versus 47% for traditional PCs, with budgets growing 18.8%,...
How Desktop AI Hubs Could Deflect Over 56.23 TWh of Industrial Data Center Load by 2035
June 15, 2026

How Desktop AI Hubs Could Deflect Over 56.23 TWh of Industrial Data Center Load by 2035

Olivier Blanchard and Brendan Burke, Research Directors at Futurum, share their insights on how high-performance small-form-factor desktop AI PCs such as the DGX Spark and Mac Mini could form the...
Robotics Leads at 9.9% CAGR as the $278B Edge Silicon Market Charts a Destination-Driven Path to $340B
April 21, 2026

Robotics Leads at 9.9% CAGR as the $278B Edge Silicon Market Charts a Destination-Driven Path to $340B

Futurum Research's 1H 2026 edge silicon market forecast finds a $278B market heading to $340B by 2030, with Robotics leading at 9.9% CAGR and IoT registering a near-flat -0.2% CAGR...
AI PCs Drive a 28% Reduction in Enterprise Employee Onboarding Time
March 25, 2026

AI PCs Drive a 28% Reduction in Enterprise Employee Onboarding Time

Olivier Blanchard, Research Director at Futurum, shares his insights on why the reported 28% reduction in employee onboarding time compared to legacy hardware, thanks to AI PCs, is a critical...
AI Grid Constraints Will Push Over 33% of Data Centers Off-Grid by 2030
March 12, 2026

AI Grid Constraints Will Push Over 33% of Data Centers Off-Grid by 2030

Brendan Burke, Nick Patience, and Olivier Blanchard, Analysts at Futurum, share their insights on how the power generation gap for AI data centers is forcing a permanent shift to off-grid...
Voice-First AI Interfaces Are Quickly Expanding Beyond The Smart Speaker Segment
February 25, 2026

Voice-First AI Interfaces Are Quickly Expanding Beyond The Smart Speaker Segment

Olivier Blanchard, Research Director at Futurum, shares his insights on why AI-enabled hearables are quickly displacing AI-enabled “smart speakers” as the primary voice-first AI interface, and what the implications of...

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If any of this is useful, I would love to talk.

Benjamin Brown, VP Custom Research, Futurum Research

Benjamin Brown

VP, Custom Research · The Futurum Group

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