The Difficulty of Replacing Smartphones: The Mistakes Made

When comic strip detective Dick Tracy wore a “two-way wrist radio” for the first time in 1946, it was considered science fiction. These days, making cordless calls isn’t among the most amazing functions of smartwatches. As an independent platform capable of hosting its apps, smartwatches differ from earphones, another well-known high-tech wearable. But instead of attempting to displace smartphones, their usage has shifted toward tasks related to health and safety. This could be partially because the top smartphone operating systems are also owned by the top wristwatch OS providers. It also highlights the technological constraints of a device whose display, input surface, and battery capacity are inferior to those of a smartphone.

This connection between smartwatches and smartphones paved the way for the unpopular Humane AI Pin, a wearable that aims to displace cell phones. But as of May 21, there were rumors that it was for sale. Many people found potential in the device’s use cases, such as hands-free access to generative AI and photo and video capturing, despite all the criticism directed against its performance.

Why Did It Go Wrong?

Many of the main complaints with the AI Pin may have been resolved if it were an add-on for a smartphone instead of a stand-alone gadget. For instance, it was criticized that it required a separate phone number and subscription; both problems would go away if it used the phone’s connectivity, as other smartwatches do. Eliminating the cellular radio would also aid in the device’s size reduction and solve the terrible battery life. It would also make it simpler to integrate such a gadget with other apps and accounts that already exist.

A different business created a wearable with no screen that was connected to a phone and provided voice-activated help, years before the AI Pin and even before the introduction of generative AI. The Pebble Core was a square that fit nicely on a keychain and was roughly the size of the last iPod Shuffle. It was developed by the innovative wearable startup Pebble. It used a 3G network to connect to Alexa, and it also had Spotify streaming and GPS locating assistance for emergencies. The wearable was part of a 2017 crowdfunding effort that raised around $13 million and was meant to be a running companion device. Regretfully, Pebble was running out of time when it happened. The product was never made public, and there haven’t been any significant attempts to create a comparable one since.

There’s Competition Besides Smartphones

Why? If one of the AI Pin’s shortcomings was that it struggled to compete with smartphones, then an accessory version would still need to contend with smartwatches and smart glasses like Ray-Ban’s Meta smart spectacles or Amazon’s Echo Frames. The least noticeable gadget is a smartwatch, which also tracks the widest variety of health indicators. However, smart glasses are also capable of taking hands-free pictures and movies and providing private audio through speakers that resemble earbuds. (There are watches designed for surveillance that have built-in cameras.) The AI Pin’s characteristic projection display presents issues that in-lens projections may be able to solve, particularly when used outside.

Unfortunately, smart glasses have drawbacks of their own. Even if they are beginning to resemble conventional spectacles, there is still work to be done, particularly for people who prefer thin frames. Individuals who don’t require prescription glasses aren’t looking for anything more than situational sunglasses. 45 million potential glass wearers in the United States alone are thought to choose contact lenses. Others seek to avoid them by having LASIK or other procedures.

In the meanwhile, people who use prescription glasses need to go through the additional (and occasionally costly) process of procuring smart glasses lenses. All these problems can be avoided with a smart pin, however, even a smaller pin than the Humane pin would be more noticeable than the Wayfarers with a Meta-infused design. Although augmented reality headsets are being developed by Apple and Google, these two industry leaders in smartphones have not demonstrated a desire to translate their innovations into smart glasses. However, a specialized business like Xreal might step in.

Microsoft Outlook

We will soon have improved access to generalist voice agents while on the go without having to take out our phones, that much is certain. Google Assistant can already be replaced with the far more helpful Gemini, and Siri will soon provide more interactions that resemble generative AI. This will enable the power of an OpenAI-caliber conversation to be activated by just pressing a button on a smartwatch, squeezing several earbuds, or pressing a button. A smart pin, which can perform some tasks more effectively than a smartphone by itself but faces more competition when that smartphone is coupled with other wearables, will no longer be necessary with the implementation of this measure.

Businesses will keep experimenting with wearable technology as it develops. But the secret to success will be to make sure these gadgets work in tandem with smartphones rather than trying to replace them. The Humane AI Pin’s path serves as a reminder of the difficulties in this field and the demand for innovation that pushes the bounds of wearable technology while honoring its established functions.