The smartphone was, without a doubt, the device that redefined the 21st century. But now, more than 15 years after the launch of the iPhone, a new question arises: what will be the next device capable of transforming the way we interact with the digital world?

The answer may lie in AI smart glasses. In this scenario, two giants stand out: Meta, with its Ray-Ban Meta AI Glasses, and Apple, which after the Vision Pro, is now redirecting resources to develop its own next-generation glasses.

Beyond a hardware battle, this is a billion-dollar race to determine who will lead the post-smartphone era.

Smart glasses are back at the center of the dispute

The concept of smart glasses emerged more than a decade ago, with Google Glass in 2013. At the time, they promised to transform our interaction with the digital world, but ended up running into issues of usability, privacy, and social acceptance. Meta tried again with Ray-Ban Stories in 2021, but adoption was still limited.

For years, smart glasses were seen as curiosities or experimental gadgets. However, today, with the evolution of generative artificial intelligence, the miniaturization of components, and integration with digital assistants, they are re-emerging with strength.

These devices are no longer mere information displays but are becoming natural extensions of daily life, capable of capturing, processing, and interacting with the world in real time, in a fluid and practical way. 

Ray-Ban Meta AI Glasses: technology that fits into real life

Launched in 2023, Ray-Ban Meta AI Glasses have already sold around 2 million units and have become a notable presence at events like the Oscars, Met Gala, and Paris Fashion Week. They show how technology can be naturally incorporated into everyday life.

Their success is due to three factors:

• Discreet and socially accepted design: looking like regular glasses, they go unnoticed and eliminate the stigma of bulky or overly futuristic devices.

• AI Integration: they allow users to ask voice questions, get instant answers, translate languages, and record photos and videos without needing their phone.

• Daily convenience: listening to music, answering calls, receiving route directions, or sharing content happen practically and without interrupting the routine.

Simplicity is precisely Meta's great advantage. Instead of betting on an experience distant from reality, the glasses offer features that are already useful today, combining style, connectivity, and artificial intelligence in an easy-to-adopt format.

Apple shifts course: from Vision Pro to AI Glasses

The Apple Vision Pro, launched in 2024, showed the power of mixed reality, but also its limitations: high price, weight, and difficulty of use in social contexts.

According to reports from Bloomberg, Apple decided to suspend the planned update of the Vision Pro to concentrate resources on developing smart glasses, with two main projects:

• N50: glasses that connect to the iPhone, without their own display. Launch expected for 2027, but the announcement could happen as early as next year.

• Model with display: direct rival to the Ray-Ban Meta Display, originally expected for 2028, but now accelerated to arrive sooner.

This shift shows that even Apple recognizes: the mobile future is not in isolated headsets, but in lightweight, social, and AI-driven devices.

The battle of artificial intelligence: Siri vs Meta AI

None of these devices will have a future without a robust layer of artificial intelligence. This is where the competition intensifies.

Meta bets on integrating its glasses with its own multimodal assistant, capable of handling images, sounds, and text. In practice, this already allows for real-time translations, quick queries, and even contextual answers based on what the camera is seeing. This level of interaction brings the glasses closer to the role of a "new smartphone," as it reduces the need to turn to other devices.

Apple, on the other hand, faces a challenge: Siri has been left behind compared to competitors like ChatGPT, Gemini (Google), and Claude (Anthropic). To regain ground, the company is betting on Apple Intelligence and a remodeled Siri, expected for the first half of 2026, which promises to be more natural, integrated, and proactive.

Billion-dollar investments and high-level design

This race is not just technological: it is strategic and financial. Billions of dollars in research, development, and marketing are at stake, as creating the successor device to the smartphone requires not only innovation but also global scale.

Meta is already working on a new version of its glasses for 2027, with two independent displays that expand the possibilities of augmented reality and promise to transform how we consume information on the move. The investment aligns with Mark Zuckerberg's company's strategy of prioritizing affordable wearables that are highly integrated with its AI platform.

Apple, in turn, bets on its track record of premium design and creating integrated experiences within the iOS ecosystem. To this end, it enlists prominent names like Jony Ive, the designer behind the iPhone, who is now collaborating on projects for new interfaces for smart devices. The idea is to repeat the iPhone's feat: turning a gadget into a global object of desire.

The impact on the mobile market

If smart glasses truly replace or reduce the role of the smartphone, the impacts on the mobile market will be profound. It is not just about launching a new gadget, but re-writing the logic of consumption and monetization of personal technology.

Some possible transformations include:

• Shift in consumption habits: less time looking at rectangular screens and greater interaction through voice, gestures, and context.

• Transformation of digital advertising: brands will need to adapt to appear in immersive experiences, which do not follow the format of banners or short videos.

• Reinvention of SEO and online content: voice searches and multimodal assistants change how information is indexed and displayed.

• New app ecosystems: just as the App Store shaped the iPhone market, smart glasses may require their own platforms, with apps optimized for augmented reality.

Another point of attention is the fate of bets on disruptive devices that did not take off, such as foldable smartphones. Despite high investments from brands like Samsung, Huawei, and Motorola, adoption remained limited, showing that not all innovation manages to become a market standard. In the case of smart glasses, the challenge is even greater: it is not enough to impress, they must offer convenience, an affordable price, and a design that fits into daily life.

Other competitors in the race

Although the main duel is between Apple and Meta, several other tech giants are accelerating so as not to be left out of the next generation of smart mobile devices.

• Google: after the failure of Google Glass last decade, the company is revisiting the idea of smart glasses with a focus on advanced AI and integration with the Android ecosystem. The experience served as a lesson in design, usability, and social acceptance.

• Amazon: is investing in expanding Alexa beyond smart homes, targeting mobile devices that combine multimodal assistants with computer vision and voice. The strategy is to turn everyday interaction into something more intuitive and integrated.

• OpenAI: besides leading in generative AI development, the company has teamed up with Jony Ive, former Apple designer, to create a hardware line that puts AI at the center of the user experience, exploring innovative interfaces and cutting-edge design.

Other emerging players: startups and manufacturers of augmented reality wearables are also testing prototypes that combine AI, environmental sensors, and mobile connectivity, creating experimental solutions that can accelerate market evolution.

Who will create the definitive device?

The big question remains: who will launch the successor to the smartphone?

Meta has the advantage of agility and being a pioneer: it already has a product on the market, socially accepted and constantly evolving. Apple, on the other hand, brings brand power, ecosystem integration, and a track record of turning technologies into mainstream.

The definitive device has not arrived yet, but when it does, it could change the way we work, communicate, and consume information. And that is the duality of progress: technology shaping humanity and humanity transforming the world!