For nearly three decades, the smartphone has been at the heart of our daily lives.

From communication and navigation to entertainment and productivity, it has become an essential tool.

But according to Mark Zuckerberg, the smartphone era may soon be coming to an end.

The Meta CEO has announced his vision for the next major shift in technology—smart glasses—which he believes will replace smartphones as the primary way we interact with the digital world.

● Are Smartphones becoming obsolete?

It might be hard to imagine life without a smartphone, but Zuckerberg predicts that the transition is already underway.

In a recent interview with tech journalist Cleo Abram, he explained that the future of computing wouldl be more immersive, natural, and social, moving away from handheld screens toward wearable technology.

“The trend in computing is to become more omnipresent, more natural, and more social. You want to interact with people around you seamlessly, and I think that will probably be the next big platform after phones,” Zuckerberg stated.

His vision revolves around smart glasses, which he argues will allow users to access information, communicate, and engage with digital content in a more intuitive way—without the need to constantly check a screen.

In the near future, he predicts that people will start reaching for their phones less often, relying instead on the convenience of augmented reality (AR) glasses.

● Smart Glasses: The Future of Technology?

At first glance, the idea of replacing a smartphone with a pair of glasses might sound like something straight out of a science fiction movie.

But tech giants, including Apple and Meta, are already heavily investing in wearable computing.

Meta is developing the Orion smart glasses, while Apple has launched the Vision Pro, marking the beginning of what could be a major transformation in personal technology.

Zuckerberg believes that by the 2030s, smartphones will no longer be our primary device. Instead, AR-powered smart glasses will take centre stage, offering real-time information, hands-free interactions, and even AI-powered virtual assistants capable of answering questions on the go.

“There will come a time when your smartphone is more often in your pocket than out of it,” he predicted.

“Users will opt for the convenience of glasses to get things done.”

This new generation of smart glasses could replace many smartphone functions, including:

● Real-time navigation without the need to glance at a screen.

● Instant access to news, weather, and notifications through an AR interface.

● Seamless communication, allowing users to take calls, send messages, and browse the web without holding a device.

● AI-powered assistance, making it easier to search for information and interact with the digital world hands-free.

What’s Next?

While smart glasses are still in their early stages, the tech industry is rapidly moving toward wearable computing. With advancements in augmented reality, AI, and lightweight display technology, the pieces are falling into place for a future where our smartphones no longer dominate our digital interactions.

The real question is: Will users embrace this change?

Smartphones are deeply integrated into our routines, and switching to smart glasses will require not just technological progress, but also cultural acceptance.

Still, with major tech players racing to develop the next-generation AR devices, it seems inevitable that our digital habits will evolve.

Whether smart glasses will completely replace smartphones or simply become an alternative tool remains to be seen, but one thing is certain—the way we interact with technology is about to change forever.

Enugu State Governnent has partnered a tech firm, African Leadership Accelerator (ALX), to train youths on online tech skills to tackle unemployment and idleness.

The state government and ALX Africa had made it possible for all Enugu State youths to access free-of-charge training on Artificial Intelligence (AI) applicable to all field of human endeavours and jobs.

Speaking further on the partnership on Thursday in Enugu, the state Commissioner for Youths and Sports, Mr Lloyd Ekweremadu, said that the partnership was meant to up-skill and upgrade knowledge newly or already acquired by the youths in the state.

Ekweremadu said that the partnership and the benefit it would bring to the state “is part of the employment vision of Gov. Peter Mbah to reduce unemployment in the state by about 70 per cent by 2030”.

According to him, what we set out to achieve is to ensure employability of Enugu State youths both in locally and international labour market, which is highly competitive.

“His Excellence, Gov. Peter Mbah is keen on developing the capacity of youths and creating their capabilities for them to compete at the global world employment market.

“We intend to use technology, tech enhancement and development to drive this process and ensure youths in the state cover up the knowledge and employability gap,” he said.

Ekweremadu said that the state would start with AI training, which will be done for all youths free-of-charge and thereafter other system and software training/courses would be done online at a reduced cost.

He advised youth to take advantage of the trainig, adding the youth ministry was fashioning out ways to tackle the issue of getting a place within the metropolis where youths with challenge of not having power supply, internet connectivity, a laptop, tablets and android phones can participate in the training.

The Country General Manager of ALX Africa, Ms Ruby Igwe, said that the partnership on various tech training would bring modern skill sets closer to the people especially youths that needed tech skills for employment purpose and to create their own start-ups and be employers of labour.

Igwe said that the free-of-charge AI course training would be for youths between the ages of 18 and 35; while it would run for six weeks on online platform of ALX Africa.

She said that participants, who successful undergo the course, would be certified as well as have opportunities to participate in other online courses that would enhance their knowledge and reposition them to a vintage position in the global market and international mobility of labour.

“The curriculum for our courses especially the AI course is from a reputable US school and the same course is runned globally and even locally in some countries in Africa and one or two states in Nigeria. So, it is nothing short of internationally acceptable AI training.

“After the AI Course, other online courses, meant to equip youths with soft and international sellable online skills, will follow in partnership with the state government to ensure we carry hundreds of thousands of youths along and prepare them for the competitive future ahead,” she said.