In recent years, we've witnessed a true technological race for smart glasses. The promise is clear: interacting with the digital world without having to take your phone out of your pocket. An attractive, almost science-fiction idea, but one that has yet to fully integrate into most people's daily lives.
The big tech companies know it: the mobile phone is king. We all carry it with us, and although many manufacturers dream of retiring it, so far no device has managed to live up to it. Glasses may seem like the natural candidate, but the reality is more complicated.
If smart glasses have one thing going for them, it's the ability to display information directly on the lens, without having to look at a screen in your hand. A message, a real-time translation, a map of the city you're visiting... Everything is within easy reach, seamlessly and naturally.
This ability to integrate the digital with the physical is, without a doubt, its greatest asset. It frees us from dependence on our phones, at least in theory. But in practice, it still hasn't achieved the futuristic vision many sell us.
The big obstacle: power and battery life. Here's the real problem. We've grown accustomed to the phone being a pocket-sized supercomputer, with bright screens, high-quality cameras, and batteries that, even if they feel short, last for several hours of intensive use.
Translating that experience into lightweight and comfortable eyewear is a huge challenge. To achieve this, most current models rely on the phone, connecting to it as if it were an on-board computer. In other words: glasses are not yet a replacement, but an accessory.
Of all the attempts, Meta's glasses, in collaboration with Ray-Ban, have been the most commercially successful to date. They've managed to sell 3.5 million units in just two years, which is impressive... but minuscule compared to the hundreds of millions of phones sold in the same period.
This contrast reveals an uncomfortable truth: the enthusiasm exists, but the real market remains niche.
The trend for smart glasses hasn't gone unnoticed by other giants. Google is trying again with its Pixel Visuals, following the failure of the legendary Google Glass. And although Apple hasn't yet launched pure glasses, with its Apple Vision Pro it has made it clear that it is strongly committed to mixed reality, albeit for now in a premium range inaccessible to most.
There are also rumors of a joint project between OpenAI and designer Jony Ive, the same designer who created the iPhone. No one yet knows what form it will take or when it will arrive, but the mere fact that they are working on it raises expectations.
Everything points to smart glasses being a hot trend in 2026 and 2027. They will be fashionable devices, attractive to those who want to try the latest and are happy to pay a few hundred euros for something new.
However, being fashionable is one thing, and being a true replacement for a mobile phone is quite another. And that goal still seems far off.
It's important to be clear here: most people don't need smart glasses for their daily lives. They're useful, yes, in certain scenarios—translations, navigation, hands-free calling, etc.—but they're not essential.
Mobile phones remain irreplaceable: powerful, versatile, and with an ecosystem of apps that covers every need. And as long as glasses can't offer the same autonomy, they'll remain a complement, not a replacement.
The history of technology teaches us that many devices begin as curiosities for enthusiasts and end up becoming an essential part of daily life. This happened with the smartphone itself, with personal computers, and even the internet.
Can smart glasses follow this same path? They could, but they're still in the exploration phase. To reach the general public, they will have to overcome three key challenges: battery life, power, and price.
The fight for smart glasses is exciting and reflects the constant search for a "post-mobile" world. But, at least for now, the only thing that's clear is that the mobile phone remains the center of our digital lives.
Smart glasses are a field of experimentation, an attractive toy for some, and a medium-term promise. However, the idea that they will replace cell phones in a few years is, for now, more wishful thinking than reality.
Perhaps a decade from now, we'll look back and be surprised at how quickly everything has advanced. Or perhaps we'll discover that glasses, like so many other inventions, never managed to dethrone the king of technology: the smartphone.
What is certain is that in the coming years we will see launches, promises, and much anticipation. And, even if I don't need them in my daily life, I will continue to watch with curiosity this technological battle to conquer our faces.
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