During the Build 2026 developer conference, in addition to restructuring the underlying Windows system, Microsoft officially launched a new AI agent platform codenamed "Project Solara." Microsoft believes that the next generation of technological paradigm shift will be a complete transition from the traditional "app-oriented" to "AI agent-first."
To realize this vision, Microsoft showcased two reference design devices at the event, one using Qualcomm chips and the other using MediaTek chips, aiming to be the first to define the standard for hardware and software integration in the next wave of AI-specific hardware.
Breaking the App Framework: Two Reference Designs Showcase the Future Form of "Smart Agent Devices"
At the conference, Microsoft stated that "Project Solara" is not intended to launch its own hardware products, but rather to serve as an open platform to demonstrate to ecosystem partners the possibilities that can be achieved when hardware is designed entirely for AI agents and not for running apps.
Microsoft showcased two different reference designs, including a desktop smart display that resembles the Amazon Echo Show and a Smart Key Badge.
The desktop smart display can directly access all user data within Microsoft 365 and interact via voice. It can instantly connect Outlook calendars and summarize Excel data on the screen and has the ability to automate complex tasks. The mobile smart ID is designed for mobile work and frontline enterprise employees. It supports 5G mobile networks, has a touch screen and camera, allowing users to input new information in real time through vision and voice, which is then processed by a backend AI agent.
Based on Android, it adopts a dynamic system architecture that allows for "on-demand UI generation".
Interestingly, although "Project Solara" is full of highly customized AI technology from Microsoft, according to supply chain and foreign media reports, the underlying system of this platform is actually based on Android.
More specifically, it is built on MDEP (Microsoft Device Ecosystem Platform), an operating system branch developed by Microsoft specifically for enterprise devices. Leveraging Android's extensive hardware compatibility and maturity, "Project Solara" can easily adapt to hardware devices with various shapes and chip platforms.
At the software architecture level, "Project Solara" has three core technical features:
• Just-in-Time UI (JIN) generation:Since the device no longer has a fixed app interface, the system will "re-layout" the interface in real time, or even create a completely new user interface dynamically, based on the task delivered by the AI agent and the size of the device screen.
• No Single Dominant Agent:The system does not bind to a single dominant AI; users can manually decide and switch the AI agent service they want to use.
• AI Task Scheduler (Agent Dispatcher):Microsoft's long-term goal is to build an agent scheduler and task manager into the system, which can automatically assign and wake up the most suitable AI agent in the background to complete tasks in collaboration, just like how traditional operating systems manage CPU operation schedules.
Retail and healthcare giants are among the first to pilot the program, catering to enterprise-level cybersecurity concerns.
Microsoft emphasizes that "Project Solara" prioritized the enterprise market from the outset and established a set of strict hardware and software standards that meet enterprise requirements for manageability, security, and privacy.
This platform is not just theoretical; Microsoft announced that in the coming months, major U.S. retailers Target and Best Buy, as well as healthcare chain CVS Health, will officially launch field pilot programs for "Project Solara" devices to test whether this type of AI-first hardware can substantially improve the productivity of frontline employees.
