They are on the way to becoming obsolete. The technology to replace them is getting good enough and cheap enough to become a threat, but while there may technically be better options I don't see it happening for a while.
First off very few people are going to buy 2 expensive communication devices, so whatever they replace smartphones with will still need to have a phone option for contacting businesses unless they also get businesses to adapt whatever they want to switch the phone with.
It can't be locked into a specific service.
I dont want to have 20 different apps to contact everyone I want to contact instead of just having a phone number.
Even with a phone function it needs to be something I can put on or take off discreetly and easily. Not all of us are in a position where we can wear expensive and breakable Ai glasses. I could see them trying a watch design as well, but that's another option not all of us can use. Always an exposed face, ready to get scratched or the band caught in something.
Something with projection capabilities might be cool. But I'm again looking at daily convenience. And slipping a phone in and out if my pocket is pretty hard to beat.
I am awesome and so are you.
Lenny gone but not forgotten.
- 12/10/2015