With the recent announcements of the new Snapchat Spectacles 3, as well as the Facebook X Ray-Ban smartglasses called “Stories”, we have officially entered a new phase in the consumer tech space. While the concept of sunglasses that have the same capabilities/functionality as the modern smartphone has existed for a while—and was even tested by large companies such as Google—it is only now that the idea seems more realistic.
Before we dive deeper into how these smart glasses will look and who might be the biggest companies creating the future of consumer tech, let’s analyze the evolution of the devices we use the most today. All these devices are right now merged in one: the smartphone.
Take the phone for example. Invented in 1876, the phone was clunky and heavy at first. Not only were phones difficult to use, but they were also difficult to access. Having a phone was a luxury not many had, as the cost was too high and the infrastructure was not there. Apartment buildings used to have one phone through which everyone in the building contacted other people. If you were to explain this concept to people who use smartphones every day, it would sound absurd.