Microsoft announced Project Solara at its Build 2026 conference — a new operating system designed specifically for gadgets that run AI agents. The company describes it as “a new platform built from the ground up to power agent-driven experiences.”
Unlike most Microsoft software, Project Solara is built on Android rather than Windows. The company chose a version of Android called the Microsoft Device Ecosystem Platform to allow the OS to run on smaller, lower-power devices while retaining the management and security features typically required by IT departments.
At Build 2026, Microsoft showed two concept devices running the platform. The first, called the Desk concept, resembles an Amazon Echo Show and uses facial recognition to unlock access to AI agents. The second is a badge concept — a wearable similar to a workplace access badge — equipped with a camera and fingerprint scanner. A single press can wake an AI agent, and the device can record and instantly transcribe conversations. Its camera can also give the AI agent a live view of what the user sees.
Microsoft is not planning to manufacture either device itself. Instead, both are intended as reference designs for other hardware makers to build into real products. Companies including AccuWeather, Best Buy, CVS Healthcare, and Target are planning to run pilots of the hardware. Microsoft fellow Steven Bathiche described the platform as “highly flexible.”
Microsoft acknowledged that work on Project Solara is still early. The company’s push into AI hardware comes as the category is expected to grow, with competitors also active in the space. Google and Meta are developing their own AI gadgets, and OpenAI is building devices in partnership with designer Jony Ive.
Source: The Verge