Microsoft unveils Project Solara, a platform that replaces apps with AI agents on devices
Microsoft just revealed something that could change the way we think about computing in the enterprise space. And this time, we are not talking about a new feature added to Windows or yet another cute virtual assistant. The proposal is way more radical than that.
At the Build Conference 2026 in San Francisco, the company introduced Project Solara, an internally developed platform that replaces traditional applications with AI agents running directly on devices. It is a real bet on the idea that the classic app model is falling behind and that the next cycle of computing will revolve around intelligent agents, integrated with dedicated hardware, from chip to cloud.
The project is still in its early stages, but it already has two working concept devices, heavyweight partners confirmed for initial testing, and a clear vision of where Microsoft wants to go with all of this. And what makes Solara even more interesting is what it is not: it does not run Windows, it does not depend on a smartphone, and it does not try to do everything at once like the voice assistants we already know. It was designed for the spaces where PCs and phones simply do not work well, and that opens up a massive territory to explore. 👀
What is Project Solara, exactly?
Project Solara is a next-generation platform created by Microsoft with a very specific goal: to allow AI agents to operate directly on devices, without relying on the traditional app model as a foundation. This means that instead of opening an app to complete a task, you simply instruct an agent that understands the context, accesses the necessary data, and carries out the action on its own.
According to Stevie Bathiche, corporate vice president and technical fellow at Microsoft who leads the Applied Sciences Group, the boundaries are crumbling. In his words, you no longer need the traditional app model or the conventional way of building experiences. It is a paradigm shift that goes far beyond an interface update.
What makes this approach different from everything we have seen before is the integration layer between hardware and artificial intelligence. Solara was designed to run on off-the-shelf components, meaning ready-made chips supplied by partners like Qualcomm and MediaTek, without the need for custom silicon. This is central to Microsoft’s strategy of keeping devices affordable and fast to manufacture.
Another important point is that Project Solara was not designed to be a mass-market consumer product, at least not right now. The initial focus is the enterprise environment, especially in scenarios where workers need access to information and task execution in situations where carrying a laptop or relying on a smartphone just is not practical. Think healthcare settings, logistics, retail, or anywhere hands need to be free and decisions need to be fast. 💡
The operating system is not Windows, and that is on purpose
Perhaps the most surprising detail about Project Solara is its foundation: the operating system running underneath the agents is MDEP, which stands for Microsoft Device Ecosystem Platform. It is an enterprise version of Android that Microsoft already uses in devices like Teams room hardware.
The choice of MDEP over Windows was deliberate. The idea is to run on smaller, low-power devices without sacrificing the management and security features that IT departments expect. We are talking about OTA updates, device integrity, Microsoft Defender, Intune, and authentication via Entra ID. Everything the enterprise world needs to sleep easy at night.
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This decision shows a strategic maturity from Microsoft that is worth highlighting. Instead of forcing Windows into a form factor where it does not fit well, the company recognized that a lighter system optimized for IoT and wearables was the smarter path. And that makes all the difference in battery life, boot speed, and the overall user experience of these compact devices.
The two concept devices that already work
Microsoft did not just stick to theory. During a briefing in Redmond the week before Build, the company showed two concept devices already up and running:
- Desk hub: a device that sits next to your PC and responds to voice commands, identifies the user through facial recognition, and displays the most urgent items of the day. With a monitor connected, it transforms into a full Windows machine running in the cloud. It connects to the PC via Bluetooth, transfers tasks between the two, and keeps everything synced.
- Wearable badge: a reimagination of the traditional corporate badge. A button with a fingerprint reader wakes the agent with a single touch. A simple tap records and transcribes a conversation. And a built-in camera allows the agent to act based on what the user is seeing.
Both devices run on off-the-shelf chips. The badge uses a new wearable chip from Qualcomm, while the desk hub runs on IoT silicon from MediaTek. Bathiche’s team shared that they managed to get the badge running on the platform in about three days, using the same software from the desk device on a different chipset from a different company. That shows the level of flexibility the Solara architecture offers.
Microsoft made it clear that it does not plan to manufacture and sell these devices directly. The idea is for hardware manufacturers and industry partners to take the reference designs and create their own implementations, each tailored to a specific sector, company, or use case. 🔧
How the AI agents work inside the platform
The AI agents running on Solara are not simply chatbots packaged in new hardware. They are systems capable of perceiving the environment, making decisions based on context, and executing actions in sequence. Microsoft built a coordination layer that manages multiple agents working in parallel within the same device, automatically triggering the most suitable agent for each task.
In practice, this means a single Solara device can be running several agents at the same time. Microsoft provides its own agents, including Microsoft 365 Copilot, but the platform was designed so that organizations can also use third-party agents or develop their own.
In one of the demonstrations shown by the company, the high-tech badge was running agents designed for use by a healthcare professional. The device scanned a patient’s QR code, recorded and transcribed the appointment, logged vital signs, and initiated a prescription. All of this seamlessly, without the professional needing to open different apps on a smartphone screen.
In another demonstration using the same badge, the built-in camera scanned a brainstorm board with ideas for renovating an office, and the agent made a suggestion: add some plants. Simple, but revealing of the kind of interaction the platform enables.
Security was also a priority from the very beginning of the design. Agents operate within boundaries defined by corporate policies, and the management of each device goes through the IT tools that companies already know. Microsoft understands that selling autonomous intelligence to the enterprise market requires a level of control and traceability that goes far beyond what regular consumers demand. 🔒
Why not just use a phone?
That is the most obvious question, and Bathiche has a direct answer for it. Companies have already tried that route, especially in healthcare, and the experience was not great. Asking a nurse to access patient data on a personal device made patients uncomfortable and created security issues.
A dedicated device, he explains, has a much smaller attack surface, can last an entire week on a single charge, and can orient its camera toward in-person interactions instead of forcing the user to hold up a screen. Computers are increasingly specializing and getting closer to people, a trend Bathiche has been pointing out for years.
What about the Amazon Echo? Is it not the same thing?
The Solara desk hub might superficially remind you of an Amazon Echo Show, but Bathiche makes a point of drawing the distinction. Alexa is a single agent trying to do everything. Solara was designed so that each organization runs its own agents, secured and managed by the company’s IT department.
The practical difference was clear in the demonstration. The desk hub pairs with the PC via Bluetooth, transfers tasks between the two devices, and keeps both in sync. An Echo Show placed next to the same PC simply would not know it was there. It is a whole different level of integration, designed for real work contexts.
Confirmed partners for initial testing
In the coming months, companies like AccuWeather, Best Buy, CVS Health, Levi’s, and Target are expected to begin pilots with devices based on Solara’s reference designs. The choice of these partners is not random. Each one represents a different sector with distinct challenges around integration, privacy, and workflow.
By testing Solara in such varied contexts at the same time, Microsoft can accelerate learning about where the platform works well naturally and where it still needs adjustments. This kind of iterative approach with real field feedback is exactly what separates projects that reach the market ready to scale from those that stay forever in the concept phase.
A project still very early on, but with strategic urgency
Microsoft does not hide the fact that Project Solara is still at a very early stage. Bathiche himself admitted that it was CEO Satya Nadella who liked what the team was doing and suggested showing the project at Build, well ahead of when the company would normally reveal behind-the-scenes work publicly.
That shows just how competitive and fast-moving the AI landscape is right now. Microsoft is in a race against Google, Amazon, OpenAI, and others to bring artificial intelligence to devices and provide the technical backbone for a new generation of computing. In practice, the company is trying to repeat with AI what it did with personal computers five decades ago, with much fiercer competition this time around, but also with far greater technical freedom.
It is also worth noting that the AI agent phone that OpenAI is developing also uses silicon from MediaTek and Qualcomm, which shows the emerging competition in this category and reinforces the strategic importance of these chip partners.
Some fundamental details still need to be worked out. When asked by GeekWire about the platform’s business model, Bathiche pointed to one clear element: the devices run on Microsoft’s Azure cloud. Beyond that, he said the economics of the project are still taking shape. Even the use cases demonstrated are at a preliminary stage. The healthcare demo, for example, was designed to illustrate the concept, not to serve as an actual clinical tool.
What might come next
The two concept devices are just the starting point. The big opportunity, according to the company, lies in all the tasks and workflows where a PC or phone gets in the way or simply is not practical to use. A display inside the Applied Sciences Group lab gave hints of where things could be headed: smart glasses, rings, earbuds, scanners, and other form factors.
Project Solara represents one of Microsoft’s most ambitious bets in years. The idea that the app model, which has dominated computing since the 80s, could be replaced by a layer of autonomous AI agents is a powerful statement. But the signs that this shift could become reality are everywhere: companies of all sizes are already automating workflows with AI, the lines between software and service are increasingly blurred, and enterprise users are losing patience with complex interfaces that require extensive training.
The platform also shines a light on a bigger trend within the tech industry: the battle for control of the agency layer. While the browser was the battlefield of the 90s and the mobile operating system was the one of the 2010s, the next fight will happen around who controls the agents that make decisions on behalf of users. Microsoft, with Solara, is trying to make sure that layer belongs to them, integrated with the Azure ecosystem, productivity services, and the hardware it will certify for the platform.
For Bathiche, the question driving Solara is simple and at the same time profound: what is the next form of computing that will get even closer to you? That is the direction, he argues, where computing is inevitably heading. 🌐
Project Solara does not have an official launch date yet, but Microsoft has signaled that updates on the project will be shared over the coming months as the pilots with partners like AccuWeather, Best Buy, CVS Health, Levi’s, and Target move forward.
