Meta’s Bold Plan to Replace Smartphones With Smart Glasses | Image Source: glassalmanac.com
March 15, 2025 – Smartphones have dominated modern life for almost three decades. But if Mark Zuckerberg is right, his reign can end soon. CEO Meta predicts that within a decade, smart glasses will become our main digital interface, pushing smartphones into obsolescence.
It may sound bad, but the change is already underway. Technology giants such as Meta, Apple and Google are growing billions (AR) and artificial intelligence (AI) to develop mobile phones that perfectly integrate digital experiences into the real world. But the question remains: Are consumers ready to leave their precious smartphones?
Smartphones are obsolete?
Smart phones are essential, but they come with disadvantages: screen fatigue, digital overload and the constant need to connect. People are looking for alternatives that offer comfort without distractions. According to industry experts, the solution does not improve smartphones, but replaces them completely.
Zuckerberg imagines a future where you no longer need to contact on the phone. Instead, your digital world will be displayed in front of your eyes through smart glasses. From calls and texts to navigation and entertainment, everything will be accessible through voice commands, manual gestures and AI-driven interfaces.
Meta Orion: The next step in the increased reality
Meta is already working on this transition. His Orion project, presented at Meta Connect 2024, represents the most advanced smart glasses. Unlike previous AR experiments, Orion is not only an accessory, it is designed to completely replace the smartphone.
These futuristic lenses use holographic screens to project digital content into the real world. With eye tracking, voice controls and gesture control, users can interact with digital information without ever removing a device. Orion’s goal is to create an immersive and uninterrupted experience where technology fades into the background.
Ray-Ban Meta: Smart Glass Go Mainstream
Meta does not stop at high-end AR. The company partnered with Ray-Ban to bring smart glasses to the masses. Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, launched in 2023, fill cameras, speakers and AI aids in an elegant setting.
Although they are not as advanced as the Orion, these vessels mark a crucial step towards the incorporation of portable IEs. If consumers feel comfortable wearing smart glasses for music, photos and calls, changing smartphones will feel more natural.
Apple Pro Vision and the competitive AR landscape
Meta is not the only player in this race. View of Apple The Pro helmet, launched in 2024, is another sign that the age of the smartphone is changing. Although larger than Meta’s glasses, Vision Pro focuses on mixed reality experiences and shows that Apple is heavily invested in this space.
Other companies, including Google and Samsung, are also working on AI-driven smart glasses, all for the same purpose: to free users of their phones.
Can AI and AR make this future possible?
For smart glasses to really replace smart phones, they need to offer more than screens linked to a user’s face. AI will play a key role in making them indispensable.
- Voice commands: Replacing touchscreen interactions.
- Instant translations: Breaking language barriers in real time.
- AI-powered overlays: Displaying contextual information seamlessly.
Imagine walking in the street and seeing the navigation directions above in your view. Or looking at a restaurant and instantly accessing your menu and opinions. A friend texting you? The message appears in its peripheral vision, without needing a phone.
The challenges of a world without a smartphone
As promising as this future may appear, there are obstacles. Battery life, processing power and privacy remain important challenges. Would people be comfortable with the cameras still on and the AI would track down their environment?
History also shows that old technology does not disappear at night. Landlines remained common for decades after mobile phone support. Some users still prefer desktops to laptops. The smartphone cannot disappear completely, but it could take a rear seat that smart glasses gain traction.
Expanded metadata plans
Meta’s thrust into cell phones doesn’t stop at Ray-Ban and Orion. As Bloomberg pointed out, the company is developing new models under the Supernova code. These models will meet the different needs of users:
- Supernova 2: Inspired by Oakley’s Sphaera sports glasses, designed for outdoor athletes. Includes built-in cameras, speakers, and AI-powered features.
- Hypernova: A high-end model with a display on the right lens, showing notifications, app updates, and photos. Expected to cost around $1,000.
Later, Meta plans to release Artemis in 2027 – an advanced model of AR glasses that will be lighter and cleaner than Orion, potentially marking the moment when AR glasses become a real smartphone alternative.
Will the Smartphones disappear?
Even if smart glasses become more advanced, the disappearance of the smartphone is not guaranteed. As CNBC points out, Meta AI accessories always depend on smartphones for connectivity. For portable ARs to remain alone, they will need independent processing power and perfect 5G integration.
In addition, adoption rates will depend on how smart glasses feel intuitive and natural. If they look like an update, consumers can keep what they know.
However, demand for smart glasses is increasing. According to the research firm Counterpoint, global shipments of smart glasses increased by 210% in 2024. The market is expected to grow by 60% by 2025 as technology giants enter space.
Meta’s CEO himself trusts the transition. “Our Ray-Ban Meta AI glasses are a real success. This is only the beginning of what is possible with AI-trained mobile phones.”
With technology companies developing smarter and more elegant AR devices, the smartphone domain cannot last forever. Whether the smart glasses replace them completely or simply coexist as an alternative that remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: the way we interact with technology is about to change significantly.
