Post-Smartphone Era: What’s the Next Big Thing in Tech?

We use smartphones for everything—calls, texting, shopping, learning, work, and even waking up in the morning. But what is next after smartphones? This all may sound silly, but many experts believe we are stepping into the post-smartphone age, and it’s going to happen quicker than we can wrap our heads around.

This is not about getting the next best phone. It is about shifting away from holding a device to interact with technology.

Let’s explore what could be the next big thing.

Smart glasses could be the next major step. These are glasses with screens and sensors built in, just like regular glasses.

Imagine being out for a walk and getting a text; with smart glasses you might be able to see it levitating right in front of your eyes. Or, you are in a new city and walking around; with smart glasses, you might get real-time arrows and directions in your field of view. This is augmented reality (AR), basically.

Companies like Apple, Meta, and Google are all on this and are too busy making light, stylish, but powerful AR glasses to share, and Apple is busy blinding us with its CES demonstrations.

My point is, we could ultimately do all the things we do with the phone, like calls, messages, browsing, etc., but completely hands-free and without ever needing to look at a screen.

Technology is constantly improving, and smart assistants are no different. From Amazon’s Alexa, Apple’s Siri, and Google’s Assistant, we’re seeing great strides every year.

Just imagine a future where the primary way we interact with our technology will be through voice. There will be no screens or typing involved—just conversations, and the technology will just do it.

“Book me a cab.”
“Translate this conversation.”
“Open up my work documents.”

The technology could be embedded in your car, your room, your glasses, or even your clothes. In all these scenarios, voice provides a more natural and less intrusive mode of interaction.

Smartwatches can track health, make phone calls, and run apps out of the box; we could also see the birth of smart rings, smart patches, and clothing with technology that will fulfill every need that a mobile phone ever could. Imagine you could unlock your home, pay for your coffee, and/or start your car simply by flicking your finger or touching your wrist.

These devices will be lighter, more personal, and closer to your body than any mobile phone could be.

Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCI): Mind-Controlled Technology
This sounds like science fiction, but it is essentially real and being tested right now.

Brain-Computer Interfaces will allow you to control devices using your thoughts. Companies like Neuralink (Elon Musk) as well as the research labs are experimenting with this technology to connect your brain to a computer!

Just think about it, writing an email WITHOUT taking your hands off the keyboard! Or changing a song with a thought. The BCI’s are still nascent, but once the explosive potential to meaningfully bind computers to your thoughts is realized?

The possibilities are limitless. BCIs could completely transform human/machine interaction and approaches to sensing human intent beyond screens and keyboards, and even the use of one’s voice.

What if you didn’t need an phone at all? But could have everything, just projected around you?

That’s the possibilities that holographic technology and virtual displays present.

You could open a floating keyboard in mid-air, watching a video projected on your desk. You could also hold a virtual video call with a person who appears as if they are sitting right there with you.

These immersive virtual environments along with AR or VR glasses could potentially allow us to interact with the digital experience (an i.e., the meta-verse) as if it were real in a physical sense-but WITHOUT having to look at a phone screen.

The goal of post-smartphone technology is not only to make our lives ‘more awesome’; it is about reducing friction in our lives.

Smartphones are amazing pieces of technology, but they also distract us. Their ability to enable constantly-scrolling, timely notifications, and mindless screen time steals focus from the ‘here and now,’ when previously it was actually seeing family or just enjoying life.

The future that is ahead of us is one of technology that, to a degree, is part of an ordinary life with you and provides precise help to you, without bringing further distraction into your attentional focus.

We’re moving toward devices that:

• Understand what you need
• Work with your voice, eyes, or thoughts
• Disappear when not in use

It’s not just about gadgets. It’s about changing the relationship between humans and machines.

The post-smartphone era isn’t here yet—but it’s coming.

You might not stop using your phone tomorrow. But over the next 5–10 years, we’ll likely use more intuitive, natural, and invisible tech.

From smart glasses to brain-powered apps, the world is shifting fast. And it’s exciting.

One thing is clear: we’re not just upgrading our phones. We’re reimagining the future of technology itself.

So, are you ready for what’s next?

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