Longsys in new alliance to bring on-device AI to handsets

The tie-up gives the dual -listed memory storage specialist a larger foothold in the emerging market for on-device AI, as its H-shares could soon qualify for the Stock Connect program

By Teri Yu

Memory products maker Shenzhen Longsys Electronics Co., Ltd. (9976.HK; 301308.SZ) said it has formed a partnership to run complex AI agent workflows directly on smartphones with U.S. chip giant Qualcomm, AI foundational model developer StepFun and on-device AI agent software provider InfrisAI, in a strategic move into the on-device AI market.

The partnership, unveiled this week during Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Summit 2026 in Hawaii, adapts StepFun’s StepEdge-Omni 30B-MoE model for Qualcomm’s sixth-generation Snapdragon 8 Elite mobile platform.

Longsys, which designs and sells memory storage products under brands including FORESEE and Lexar, is supplying the storage-management technology needed for smartphones to handle the large volumes of data needed to run AI models locally on devices rather than relying on the cloud.

The collaboration was demonstrated on a Qualcomm reference handset and showed an AI assistant carrying out multi-step office tasks on the device, from interpreting emails and planning an itinerary to syncing calendars.

The step highlights a widening effort to make AI features faster, more private and less dependent on remote computing infrastructure. While chip designers have focused on adding more computing power to handsets, Longsys is seeking to show that storage, usually treated as a largely standardized component, can also play a role.

Large models running on phones must continuously retrieve model parameters, temporary data and conversation history, placing pressure not only on processors and memory but also on device storage. Longsys said its solution allows model weights to be loaded more efficiently from flash storage, helping to reduce the amount of working memory that must remain occupied during inference.

Its system combines an intelligent storage-management engine, branded iSA, with UFS 4.1 storage chips using a controller developed by its Wisemem affiliate.

The product could give Longsys an edge as handset makers attempt to deploy increasingly sophisticated AI agents on devices. Instead of relying solely on more expensive processors or more DRAM, manufacturers may be able to improve performance through closer coordination between computing and storage.

For Longsys, the venture provides a high-profile showcase for technology it has already tested in AI personal computers and mobile workstations. The move could help differentiate Longsys in a crowded storage market where companies typically compete on price, capacity and transmission speed.

The partnership also comes just weeks after Longsys completed its Hong Kong IPO to complement its existing listing in Shenzhen, raising net proceeds of HK$6.8 billion ($867 million) in the process. The Hong Kong offer price was about 40% below Longsys’ A-share closing price at the time of pricing, underscoring the valuation gap that can arise when companies listed on Mainland markets seek to tap Hong Kong’s more international investor pool.

Longsys’ Hong Kong-listed shares are currently within their stabilization period. After that period expires, the shares will be eligible for review for inclusion in the Stock Connect program making them accessible to Mainland China-based buyers. That may bring a new pool of investors familiar with Longsys’ business to the Hong Kong stock and could reduce the big valuation gap between the two listings.

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