Your smartphone killer is around the corner

Can you do without a smartphone? In a future not too far away, the answer could be a ‘yes’.The handheld’s reign as the apex communication device is under serious challenge from the next computing revolution. At its heart is a part of your persona — the glasses you wear. After years of experiment, the latest versions of smart glasses are the closest Big Tech has come to building the next ‘king’ device. Over the years, the apex device of every generation has become the one with maximum computing power at its core (radio, TV, music players, phone, PCs, smartphone). The smartphone is already all the others packed into one, but seems to have hit the end of its innovation cycle. So, the ground is fertile for a new device to fill the innovation gap. With smartphones, the world has been living with the internet 24x7. The new computing breakthrough wants you to live inside it as Big Tech pursues a more “intuitive” and “collaborative” way of communication, away from the “restrictive rectangles” in our hands to a wearable. 118391043Last year, the race to build glasses for the AI era heated up. Meta unveiled Orion (prototype) and Snap Inc launched its latest generation of Spectacles (available for a subscription to its developers), both working on augmented reality or AR. Google has built a prototype of its new smart glass with Project Astra. And Samsung has unveiled Project Moohan, its new headset that will be the first to run on Android XR (extended reality), the OS Google is building for this leap. Snap Inc has launched its own OS for AR apps too. Why two tech giants are betting on glassesFREEDOM FROM SCREEN | “I think today, people are frustrated by the amount of time they’re spending on screens. They feel like screens take them away from their friends or out of the real world... and we think that there’s a real opportunity to build technology that’s grounded in the real world, that brings people together with their friends and is supported with natural interaction. You don’t have to learn how to use a mouse and a keyboard. You can just interact with digital objects the same way you interact with physical objects.” – Evan Spiegel, CEO, Snap Inc medium118390867GLASSES AS DEFAULT GO-TO THING | “You’re sitting at your desk and you have your computer there, yet you still pull out your phone to do things. So, at some point in the last 10 years, mobile became the primary computing platform. We didn’t get rid of our computers. It’s just that even when you have it, you’re still doing more things on your phone. So I think what’s going to happen with glasses is we’re going to get to this point, probably some time in the 2030s, where you have your phone with you but it’s going to stay in your pocket because you’d be doing more and more things with your glasses that today you do with your phone. Glasses will be your main computing platform, your default go-to thing.” – Mark Zuckerberg, CEO Facebook medium1183907973 reasons why it’s a breakthroughYOU WEAR IT: Wearable experiments, especially with glasses, aren’t new — think Google Glass, virtual reality (VR) headsets, or mixed reality (MR) devices like Apple’s Vision Pro. Despite this, none have become mainstream due to challenges like weight and functionality. Orion (98g with a neural wristband) and Spectacles (226g, standalone) are lighter and more advanced but still heavier than regular glasses, hinting at progress in addressing these issues. IT’S REAL: Big Tech now leans towards augmented reality or AR over VR/MR for its real-world integration. AR glasses like Orion and Spectacles appear normal until powered on, projecting holograms over what you see. This allows walls, tables, or parks to become interactive screens. GEN AI: Generative AI sets these devices apart, accelerating tech development from years to days. Just as the internet revolutionised smartphones, gen AI will be foundational for the next ‘king’ device. 118390771From using internet to living inside itThe latest AR glasses replicate many smartphone functions — taking photos, video calls, gaming, watching videos, reading, and using AI assistants — but in 3D, offering a more immersive experience. This screen can be navigated through pinch gestures. They also enable collaboration beyond a phone’s capabilities.Scope is endless Glasses, AR and AI combined will go in the basic stage where the most evolved smartphone hasn’t, especially on collaboration. They enable holographic meetings, remote events, and lessons from home. Talking of the possibilities, Evan Spiegel described this future as “the world’s best boxing coach teaching you in your living room”. This will happen through parallel evolution in app development with AR becoming the foundational development platform. A news app, for instance, could display a holographic screen anywhere. Spiegel predicts millions will adopt AR glasses by the decade’s end, transforming daily life and work. 118391068Experience multiple virtual screens within your field of vision, enhancing productivity without physical monitors Transform standard 2D images into dynamic 3D displays, bringing photos and videos to life before your eyes AI-powered assistance — navigation, translation, contextual information, calls — in real time with hands-free convenience Capture and share pictures and videos from glasses medium nocaption118410338Coming how soon?Snap unveiled Spectacles in September 2024, followed by Meta’s Orion days later. Snap’s glasses are subscription-only for its lens developers. Meta sells basic smart glasses under the Ray-Ban Meta brand, and Oculus VR wearables. The Google-Samsung project has the most ambitious timeline, aiming for a late 2025 launch, though no official announcement has been made. Apple’s Vision Pro stands out as the most feature-rich — and most expensive — wearable resembling smart glasses. The biggest challenge for all? Balancing power and portability—how to extend battery life while keeping the glasses lightweight as they evolve into the next-gen supercomputers.Design: Sajeev Kumarapuram