For nearly 20 years, the smartphone has been at the center of hardware and software development. But with AI moving from stand-alone apps to being interwoven in our go-to platforms, and then into the operating system of our devices, the shape of the next generation of hardware devices is still being developed.
And Amazon SVP of Devices and Services, Panos Panay, is as close to that development as anyone can get. He will be speaking at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 to deliver exclusive insights about how he sees the evolution of hardware progressing.
Disrupt has long been a place where the incumbents share where they’re placing their bets, and what impacts and opportunities startups need to know about. Your chance to get a jump-start on the competition starts October 13-15 at San Francisco’s Moscone West. Before we dig into Panay and his upcoming talk, you should consider locking in today’s ticket pricing before our next tier goes live. Our discounts won’t last much longer!
Why Panay brings a unique perspective to Disrupt 2026
Panay isn’t new to reinventing hardware categories under pressure. He spent more than 19 years at Microsoft, most notably working as their EVP and chief product officer, overseeing the development of a wide range of Surface devices, from to the original Surface Laptop from 2017 to the foldable Duo. While there, he also oversaw the development of Windows 11, in an overlap of software and hardware that’s becoming a mainstay in the AI era.
