For almost two decades, the smartphone has been at the heart of everyday digital life. People use it to communicate, navigate, work, shop, make payments, capture photos and videos, and consume entertainment. But the next major shift in personal technology could move some of these activities away from handheld screens.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has openly argued that smart glasses could become the next major computing platform. Meta’s Ray-Ban Meta glasses are an early example of this approach, combining cameras, microphones, open-ear speakers and Meta AI in a familiar eyewear design.
A Computer You Can Wear
Zuckerberg has been clear about his view of where computing could be headed. He said, “I think glasses are going to be the next major computing platform.”
The idea is not necessarily that smartphones will suddenly disappear. Instead, a new type of device could gradually become the preferred way to perform certain tasks. Zuckerberg has compared this potential change with the move from traditional computers to smartphones, where the newer device eventually became the primary tool for many everyday activities.
Meta is bringing together two of its major technology priorities, artificial intelligence and wearable computing. The company’s AI-powered glasses are designed to give an assistant access to information about what the wearer is seeing and hearing, creating a more direct connection between the user and the digital world.
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Everyday Tasks Without Reaching for a Phone
The Ray-Ban Meta glasses are designed to handle several activities without requiring users to take out their smartphones. A wearer can speak to the AI assistant, ask questions about something in front of them, take photos or videos, listen to music and make phone calls.
The glasses also support calls and messaging through services such as WhatsApp and Messenger, along with music and media controls. In some video calls, users can also share their point of view through the glasses.
This approach is closely linked to the idea of ambient computing. Instead of requiring people to constantly reach for a dedicated screen, technology becomes available more naturally in the background.
The Camera Adds a New AI Dimension
The built-in camera is an important part of Meta’s AI strategy. Users can ask the glasses questions about objects or information in front of them, with images sent to Meta’s cloud for AI processing before a response is delivered through the glasses.
This can support tasks such as translating text, identifying objects or landmarks, and helping users understand what they are looking at.
The result is a form of hands-free interaction that is difficult to achieve with a conventional smartphone. A person can capture a moment, ask an AI question or make a call while continuing to use their hands for something else.
Why Phones Are Still Hard to Replace
Despite these capabilities, smart glasses are not yet a complete replacement for smartphones.
A smartphone remains much more versatile for activities such as making UPI payments, using Google Maps, responding to long messages, checking email, browsing social media, booking a cab and editing content. These tasks generally require a larger screen and a more flexible interface.
The smartphone has also evolved far beyond its original role as a communication device. Today, it works as a camera, wallet, navigation tool, entertainment system, messaging platform and portable computer, all within a single device.
That makes replacing it with glasses a much bigger challenge than simply adding more features to a wearable.
The Industry Is Moving Beyond Meta
Meta is not the only company exploring the future of wearable computing. Google is developing AI-powered glasses as part of its Android XR strategy, while Apple has entered spatial computing with the Vision Pro.
Zuckerberg has also described glasses as an especially suitable form factor for AI because they can allow an assistant to see what the wearer sees, hear what they hear and communicate directly with them.
Privacy Could Shape the Future
As smart glasses become more capable, privacy is another issue that cannot be ignored.
A smartphone camera is usually easy to notice when someone is taking a picture or recording video. A camera built into a pair of glasses can be considerably less obvious to people nearby.
Ray-Ban Meta glasses include a white LED indicator when photos or videos are being captured. Even so, questions remain about how comfortable people will feel around wearable cameras that can potentially be used throughout the day.
Concerns about recording people in workplaces and public spaces without their knowledge or consent could become increasingly important as these devices become more common.
For now, smartphones remain firmly at the centre of digital life. Smart glasses may reduce the need to reach for a phone in certain situations, but the technology still has a long way to go before it can match everything a smartphone can do. The race to build the next major computing platform, however, is already underway.
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