As Apple gears up to unveil its latest iPhones this week, consumers might expect familiar updates: slightly sleeker designs, better cameras, and modest software improvements. But beneath the surface, the tech industry is preparing for a seismic shift — one that could render the smartphone, the most successful personal device in history, far less central to our digital lives.
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| A.I. devices: smart glasses, watch, ambient speaker, and recorder. |
The reason? Artificial Intelligence.
Modern A.I. assistants are advancing rapidly, leaving behind the clunky, limited voice helpers of the past like Siri and Alexa. These intelligent agents are poised to become the true “operating systems” of our digital world — seamlessly managing tasks, streamlining workflows, and even anticipating our needs without us having to swipe, tap, or type.
Instead of manually opening apps, checking calendars, or typing notes, A.I.-driven devices will handle tasks for us: scheduling meetings, suggesting dinner spots, generating shopping lists, or even taking meeting notes in real time.
As Alex Katouzian, Qualcomm’s executive overseeing mobile products, puts it:
“The operating system you’re used to on a phone — the apps you launch, the menus you tap — will start to disappear in the background. Your assistant will actually start doing things for you.”
That evolution also raises a bigger question: What comes after the smartphone? Industry veterans and visionaries from Apple, Google, Amazon, Meta, and Samsung are offering their predictions.
1. Smart Glasses — Computing Through Your Eyes
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has long championed the idea of glasses as the next personal computing frontier. In a letter, he described a future where glasses “see what we see, hear what we hear, and interact with us throughout the day,” essentially becoming our primary computing device.
Recent strides prove this isn’t science fiction anymore:
- Meta’s Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses (already surpassing 2 million sales) allow wearers to ask Meta AI questions about their surroundings — from identifying animals to recognizing landmarks.
- Google unveiled an A.I.-powered Gemini prototype that overlays real-time information onto your vision.
- Meta’s Orion glasses prototype, featuring built-in displays, promises to show digital notes and contextual information directly in your line of sight.
Challenges remain: battery life, design aesthetics, and cost efficiency. Still, industry experts predict mainstream adoption of display-free smart glasses within the next two years, with display-enabled versions following later.
2. The Rise of the Ambient Computer
Panos Panay, Amazon’s head of devices, envisions a world where computing doesn’t live in your pocket — but all around you.
Think microphone-equipped speakers, smart displays, and wearable devices woven into everyday life. Amazon’s Alexa+, enhanced with conversational A.I., makes it possible to casually ask questions or get assistance without reaching for your phone.
At a dinner table, for instance, instead of pulling out a smartphone, someone could simply ask the assistant aloud, keeping the flow of conversation uninterrupted.
Panay emphasizes that while smartphones will remain relevant (just as laptops did after smartphones), ambient A.I. devices will increasingly dominate daily interactions.
3. The Smartwatch Reimagined
Carl Pei, CEO of Nothing, believes the wrist could become the new hub of computing.
Why the smartwatch? It’s:
- Already popular (over 100 million sold annually).
- Discreet and always with you.
- More socially acceptable than face-worn devices.
Pei predicts a future where A.I.-powered smartwatches go beyond fitness tracking:
- Automating scheduling and productivity tasks.
- Replacing messaging, calendar, and review apps with a unified A.I. agent.
- Even integrating cameras for on-wrist video calls (à la Inspector Gadget).
This evolution could make the smartwatch far more central than smartphones in our daily routines.
4. The A.I. Recorder — Perfect Digital Memory
Human memory is flawed: studies suggest we forget up to 90% of experiences within a week. Startups like Limitless AI aim to solve this by offering wearable recorders paired with intelligent coaching software.
- The Limitless AI pendant records conversations, transcribes them, and provides real-time reminders.
- It could help at work (reminding you of unfulfilled promises) or even in parenting (suggesting better ways to respond to your kids).
Dan Siroker, CEO of Limitless AI, calls it a way to “augment our capabilities and free our minds of biological limitations.”
Still, concerns around privacy, surveillance, and constant listening will be major hurdles before mass adoption.
Creating a "Symphony of AI"
From necklaces and glasses to watches and home speakers, the vision is a world where multiple devices work together in harmony, powered by a single, deeply personalized A.I. assistant.
Bob Ryskamp, a former Google Glass designer, imagines it as a “symphony of A.I.”:
“You wear them because you like how they look. And they also happen to be smart.”
Unlike Google Glass — which failed largely due to its awkward design — today’s A.I. devices emphasize fashion, functionality, and social acceptance.
The Shift to a Post-Smartphone Era
The smartphone isn’t going to vanish overnight. But its role as the central hub of personal computing is already shifting. In the coming years, A.I. will drive us toward a post-smartphone era where glasses, watches, recorders, and ambient computers blend seamlessly into our lives.
The winners of this new race won’t just be the companies with the best hardware — but those who can create the most capable, trustworthy, and human-like A.I. assistants.
As Apple, Google, Meta, Amazon, and startups push ahead, one thing is clear: the future of personal computing is no longer in your pocket. It’s everywhere around you.
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