Smartphones : are they ending… Or evolving ?
Some of the biggest names in technology predict a future without smartphones, but Apple’s CEO strongly disagrees. At a time when AI and connected devices are changing fast, the role of the smartphone is at the center of a major tech debate.
For over three decades, the smartphone has been an essential tool in daily life. Today, however, some tech leaders are questioning whether it will remain central. Elon Musk, founder of Neuralink and SpaceX, predicts that “in the future, there will be no phones, just Neuralinks,” suggesting that brain‑computer interfaces will allow people to communicate and interact with technology using thoughts rather than touch.
Smart glasses, electronic tattoos, and other innovations could replace the smartphone
Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, also envisions a shift away from smartphones. He believes smart glasses — augmented reality eyewear — could gradually take over many tasks that phones handle today, like messaging and app use. Zuckerberg has indicated that this transition could unfold through the 2030s as AR technology improves.
Other futurists point to even more unconventional ideas. For example, Bill Gates has supported research into electronic tattoos with nanosensors capable of transmitting data, hinting at new forms of human‑technology interaction without screens.
Smartphones can evolve and coexist with emerging tech rather than be quickly replaced
In contrast, Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, argues that the smartphone is not disappearing anytime soon. Cook believes that innovations — including artificial intelligence features and augmented reality functions being rolled into the iPhone — show that smartphones can evolve and coexist with emerging tech rather than be quickly replaced.
This difference of opinion highlights a broader industry debate: some executives see a radical shift away from smartphones, while others expect a gradual evolution where phones remain central to digital life even as new technologies emerge. Meanwhile, for most people worldwide — including many in Africa where smartphones are a primary gateway to education, digital services, and communication — mobile phones continue to be indispensable.
The future of smartphones may not be one of disappearance, but of transformation
In the end, the future of smartphones may not be one of disappearance, but of transformation: blending smarter AI assistants, wearable AR devices, brain interfaces for niche use cases, and phones that remain part of everyday life for years to come.
