In 2026, the connected devices landscape stands at an inflection point. What was once a conversation about incremental innovation in laptops, tablets, and smartphones is evolving into a larger story of intelligence, autonomy, and sustainability. Across organizations large and small, devices are no longer passive tools; they are becoming active participants in productivity, security, and decision-making. This transformation brings new challenges — shifting supply chains, emerging sustainability standards, and rising demand for trust and transparency.
The next few years will redefine how enterprises think about device strategy. Major shifts are already underway in how, where, and why devices are built and deployed — reshaping not only technology choices but also broader approaches to resilience, sustainability, and security.
Intelligent, sustainable, and secure devices
The age of intelligent endpoints has arrived. Devices are gaining the ability to learn, adapt, and act on behalf of users. Increasingly, AI will live not just in the cloud but on the device itself — enabling real-time performance optimization, contextual responsiveness, and stronger security. This evolution reduces reliance on centralized processing and cuts latency for mission-critical tasks. Imagine a PC that understands your work patterns, adjusts to your environment, and autonomously mitigates potential threats without human intervention.
For IT teams, this shift signals a move toward distributed intelligence and new management paradigms. Devices will act as secure nodes within a broader ecosystem, each with a defined role in data processing and protection. The challenge will be managing that complexity while maintaining consistency and compliance.
At the same time, the environmental footprint of technology has become a defining factor in device strategy. Sustainability is no longer a differentiator; it’s an expectation. As organizations work toward carbon neutrality, the devices they purchase — and how those devices are produced, used, and retired — directly influence their ESG performance.
Forward-thinking vendors are integrating sustainability into design, building devices that are repairable, recyclable, and energy-efficient. Enterprises, in turn, are making procurement decisions based not only on technical specifications but also on lifecycle carbon metrics.
Resilience, regionalization, and responsibility
Geopolitical and trade disruptions are accelerating the reconfiguration of global supply chains. Device manufacturers are diversifying production footprints and sourcing across regions to reduce risk and increase flexibility. This isn’t just about avoiding disruption — it’s about enabling faster delivery, shorter lead times, and more predictable procurement cycles.
For enterprise buyers, regionalized manufacturing can mean greater stability and a wider range of device configurations. Yet it also demands new approaches to vendor relationships, procurement planning, and lifecycle management. Agility will be as important as cost efficiency.
As devices grow more intelligent, they are also becoming more self-aware. Future systems will dynamically adapt to user behavior, time of day, or location — tuning performance for productivity or enforcing stricter security protocols when risk is detected. This is the dawn of the context-aware enterprise, where devices themselves become front-line defenders against threats.
But with autonomy comes responsibility. The proliferation of on-device AI introduces new challenges around governance, data integrity, and trust. Organizations will need oversight frameworks to ensure models remain accurate, unbiased, and secure over time.
For IT departments, this transformation represents both opportunity and obligation. The opportunity lies in achieving greater resilience, performance, and employee productivity through intelligent, secure devices. The obligation lies in managing those devices responsibly — with clear governance, compliance, and lifecycle policies.
For technology vendors, success will hinge on transparency and adaptability: building devices that are trustworthy, sustainable, and aligned to enterprise AI strategies. For technology buyers, the next few years will require a holistic view of procurement that considers total lifecycle value, not just acquisition cost.
No single innovation will define the future of connected devices; rather, success will depend on how organizations balance intelligence, sustainability, and responsibility.
Those who act now — by modernizing infrastructure, prioritizing trust, and embracing sustainable design — will be best positioned to lead in the next era of the connected enterprise.
The commercial technology landscape is evolving rapidly. IDC FutureScape: Worldwide Connected Devices 2026 Predictions explores how AI-driven intelligence, resilient supply chains, sustainable manufacturing, advanced security, and edge innovation are reshaping the global device ecosystem. The report connects these shifts to broader market and workforce trends, helping leaders across industries turn transformation into opportunity and chart their next move with confidence.
To explore the full set of predictions shaping the agentic-AI era, visit the IDC FutureScape 2026 Resource Center.
