For years, the smartphone has been the centre of our digital lives. Yet standing on the exhibition floor in Las Vegas this January, one thought became increasingly difficult to ignore: your mobile phone may soon feel as outdated as a fixed landline. At CES 2026 Las Vegas, the world’s largest technology showcase, innovation was not defined by bigger televisions or faster processors. Instead, the most significant shift was happening much closer to the human experience - directly in front of our eyes. The real breakthrough this year was the rapid evolution of AI-powered smart glasses.For a long time, smart glasses have been more promise than reality. Early versions were bulky, impractical, or dependent on constant phone interaction. That narrative is now changing. What stood out at CES was how close these devices are to becoming everyday eyewear - both in form and function. While Meta has dominated much of the public conversation around augmented reality, CES 2026 made it clear that serious competition has arrived. Companies such as Rokid, Xreal, and Snap showcased smart glasses that no longer look like experimental gadgets, but like normal eyewear, with remarkable capabilities built in. These glasses overlay digital information seamlessly onto the real world, reducing the need to constantly check a phone. The experience is less about consuming content and more about enhancing reality in real time.
AI that works where life happensThe most compelling aspect is not the hardware itself, but how artificial intelligence is now embedded into everyday situations. Imagine walking into a grocery store and seeing products highlighted in your field of vision based on your dietary preferences or allergies. Or having live translations appear discreetly as the person you are speaking to talks - no apps, no screens, no interruptions. Navigation cues, reminders, messages, and contextual information appear when needed, and disappear when they are not. This represents a fundamental shift in how we interact with technology. Instead of pulling us away from the moment, AI becomes an invisible assistant operating in the background of daily life.CES 2026 made one thing clear: this is the year artificial intelligence begins to move decisively out of the screen and into the physical world. The smartphone will not disappear overnight, but its role is starting to change. Screens are becoming secondary, while wearables, particularly smart glasses, are emerging as the new interface between humans and digital services. For consumers, this raises important questions. Are we ready to trade some of our screen time for “glasses time”? Will this technology simplify our lives, or create new forms of digital dependency? And how will privacy, data, and social norms adapt when digital information is constantly within sight?What is certain is that the pace of change is accelerating. Walking away from CES this year, it felt less like a glimpse of the distant future and more like a preview of what everyday life could look like very soon.The post-smartphone era may not be here yet - but after CES in Las Vegas, it suddenly feels much closer. (CES is the world’s largest and most influential technology exhibition, held annually in Las Vegas. The event brings together leading global technology companies, startups, investors, and media, and is widely regarded as an early indicator of which technologies and consumer trends are likely to shape the years ahead).
