India Today AI Summit 2026: Ericsson APAC CTO says AI will create more media intensive devices, boost network efficiency
Speaking at the India Today AI Summit 2026, Ericsson APAC CTO, Magnus Everbringing, said India has played a global role in smartphone scale. He believes that with AI, users can expect better network efficiency.
Ericsson APAC CTO, Magnus Everbring discusses India’s role in scaling global smartphone manufacturing at the India Today AI Summit 2026. Everbring noted that with rapid advancements in AI, smartphones will improve, but we may also see new products.
The Ericsson chief’s session during the summit was titled, “AI for All/Sovereign AI.” He highlighted that scale is one of the most important aspects of the smartphone industry. “I think the mobile industry has (scale). And India is a role model in that,” Everbring said.
According to Everbringer, by the third quarter of 2025, “87 percent of all smartphones sold in India were 5G enabled.” And due to economies of scale, 5G smartphones are available in India at affordable prices. Accuden described the scale of the Indian smartphone industry as “phenomenal”.
AI can help make networks more efficient
Everbring was asked how the application of AI could improve the real world. The Ericsson APAC chief highlighted that networks can become more efficient. He believed that AI will provide better spectrum efficiency to operators. “We can improve the efficiency, how much information you can cram into a piece of radio spectrum, by 10 percent,” he said.
Radio spectrum in India is regulated by TRAI and given to mobile operators through auction. Everbringing acknowledged that this is a “big investment” for operators, and AI can help them extract more value from the same bandwidth. “There’s a huge value that’s now being uncovered, thanks to using AI in core parts or products. And it’s to the benefit of users,” Everbring said.
AI will change your smartphone
When asked how AI will change the smartphone category in the future, the Ericsson APAC CTO replied, “Smartphone devices will get faster and better going forward.” However, Everbringer believes there will be room for different products as well. He added, “But that’s certainly not the end of it. It also opens the door for new types of devices to come.”
Everbringer acknowledged that in the future, devices will become more “media intensive”. One example he gave was of XR glasses. “We see high value uses, such as supporting surgeons in healthcare, full business service,” the Ericsson chief said.
Everbringing stressed that soon, we may have such devices in our daily use. “I live in Singapore, and coming here to Delhi, I see a building. I want to know its history. And suddenly, I can see it on my screen (through the glasses),” he said.
