ChatGPT
Let’s be real: Smartphones are getting out of hand, literally.
We traded pocket space for bigger screens, better cameras and more power. Some of these glass bricks are the size of a paperback novel and about as easy to use one-handed.
Even Marty Cooper, the man who invented the cell phone, told me directly that the future of communication is a chip embedded behind our ears. No screen to crack. Just an invisible little whisper bot baked into your skull. Sounds crazy, but so did the idea of Instagram in your pocket, 30 years ago.
The phone is evolving, fast. Here’s what’s trying to eat its lunch:
⌚ Wearables that actually do stuff
Your Apple Watch or Pixel Watch can already handle calls, texts, payments and your resting heart rate. One tap, and you’re checking vitals or pausing a playlist. Smart rings (Oura, Samsung, etc.) are slowly taking over, too. Congratulations, you’re engaged to your biometric data.
And yes, we have real-life Star Trek-style comms badges coming. Beam me up, notification settings.
🤖 AI wearables … flopped
The Humane AI Pin promised screen-free, voice-first living. Reality? It was glitchy, sluggish and hotter than a toaster. Humane’s now offloading its tech to HP.
The Rabbit R1? Same idea, different shape. Still clunky. Still not your phone’s final boss.
The only intelligent thing was your decision not to buy one.
🕶️ Smart glasses are plotting
Meta and Ray-Ban have a thing. Apple’s cooking up AR glasses. The goal is to beam texts, maps and TikToks into your eyeballs. Finally, a way to make eye contact less personal.
Please don’t try to change the volume mid-commute and accidentally salute a stranger.
🧽 Squishy screens might be a thing
Researchers at the University of Bath built DeformIO, a pressure-sensitive blob of digital clay you can poke and squeeze like your own weird little UI stress ball.
It uses conductive gel and embedded sensors to detect how it’s being deformed, translating those gestures into real-time digital input. Think of it as a physical interface that bends and flexes with your fingers.
Practical? Not yet. Fascinating? Very. Bad news if you hate explaining things to the TSA.
🔮So what’s next?
Phones aren’t disappearing overnight. But maybe they’ll be slowly replaced (or joined) by smaller, smarter, squishier things that blend into your life instead of taking it over.
Your next “phone” might live on your finger, whisper in your ear or melt into your glasses. You might not even notice it, until it starts finishing your sentences.
