Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, and Sam Altman Declare the End of Smartphones — but Tim Cook Isn’t Buying It Just Yet

Tech giants are quietly moving to kill off the smartphone, betting on radical new devices that bypass screens entirely. While Apple plays it safe, others are pushing brain chips, digital tattoos and AI wearables.

Smartphones, once the crown jewel of tech innovation, may finally be approaching their twilight. According to recent data from IDC and Statista, global smartphone shipments have slowed significantly over the last five years, with a plateau in consumer demand and fewer compelling reasons to upgrade. At the same time, some of the most influential names in technology — Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Sam Altman and Bill Gates — are no longer talking about the next phone. They’re talking about what comes after.

These figures are investing heavily in technologies that sidestep traditional smartphones altogether. Brain implants, augmented reality glasses, and skin-worn digital interfaces are now in the spotlight. And while Apple CEO Tim Cook remains committed to refining the smartphone with incremental updates, his counterparts are preparing for a post-screen world.

While giants debate the next paradigm, a wave of smaller players is already pushing into the space. Devices like the Rabbit R1, Humane’s AI Pin, and the Oura Ring don’t look like smartphones, but they perform many of the same tasks — often more simply, and without the distractions.

These gadgets leverage voice commands, context-aware AI and minimal interfaces to offer frictionless interaction, a trend that The Economist noted in 2023 as an early warning sign of industry disruption. In many cases, these minimalist tools aren’t just accessories — they’re intended to replace specific smartphone functions, from messaging to health tracking to navigation.

Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, and Sam Altman Declare the End of Smartphones — but Tim Cook Isn’t Buying It Just Yet

Tech giants are quietly moving to kill off the smartphone, betting on radical new devices that bypass screens entirely. While Apple plays it safe, others are pushing brain chips, digital tattoos and AI wearables.

dailygalaxy.com

 

[mattfivefour]

I'm not having a brain chip, a digital tattoo or even an AI wearable. Not happening. The day they take away smartphones, I'm out of here.

 

[Work4Peanuts]

Tech giants are quietly moving to kill off the smartphone, betting on radical new devices that bypass screens entirely. While Apple plays it safe, others are pushing brain chips, digital tattoos and AI wearables.

Smartphones, once the crown jewel of tech innovation, may finally be approaching their twilight. According to recent data from IDC and Statista, global smartphone shipments have slowed significantly over the last five years, with a plateau in consumer demand and fewer compelling reasons to upgrade. At the same time, some of the most influential names in technology — Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Sam Altman and Bill Gates — are no longer talking about the next phone. They’re talking about what comes after.

These figures are investing heavily in technologies that sidestep traditional smartphones altogether. Brain implants, augmented reality glasses, and skin-worn digital interfaces are now in the spotlight. And while Apple CEO Tim Cook remains committed to refining the smartphone with incremental updates, his counterparts are preparing for a post-screen world.

While giants debate the next paradigm, a wave of smaller players is already pushing into the space. Devices like the Rabbit R1, Humane’s AI Pin, and the Oura Ring don’t look like smartphones, but they perform many of the same tasks — often more simply, and without the distractions.

These gadgets leverage voice commands, context-aware AI and minimal interfaces to offer frictionless interaction, a trend that The Economist noted in 2023 as an early warning sign of industry disruption. In many cases, these minimalist tools aren’t just accessories — they’re intended to replace specific smartphone functions, from messaging to health tracking to navigation.

Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, and Sam Altman Declare the End of Smartphones — but Tim Cook Isn’t Buying It Just Yet

Tech giants are quietly moving to kill off the smartphone, betting on radical new devices that bypass screens entirely. While Apple plays it safe, others are pushing brain chips, digital tattoos and AI wearables.

dailygalaxy.com

Didn't have a thumbs down reaction. This doesn't make me angry, scared, or unhappy. I just don't want it and am completely disinterested in what they're trying to offer.

 

[Tall Timbers]

I was a very late adapter to cell phones, and I'll probably never become a customer of whatever comes next, especially if it's a tattoo or chip or some such thing.

 

[Armor of Light]

We get along just fine with no smart phone, we know a couple folks that don't own cell phones!

 

[Ghoti Ichthus]

If they hadn't taken away the ability to read a text and be on the phone at the same time from the old non-smart flips, that's what I'd still have. Unfortunately, the bank, cell company, etc. insist on verifying via text who you are when on the phone trying to fix a problem



I still have an old 3G that'll work for 911, and I might start carrying that and leave the smart phone at home. Hard to break, lose, or have it stolen that way

 

[mattfivefour]

We get along just fine with no smart phone, we know a couple folks that don't own cell phones!

My smartphone has basically replaced my computer. I do almost everything on it except video editing and book editing, both of which still need the processing power and screen real estate of a computer.

 

[Matthew6:33]

Signs of the times. SMH

 

[Ghoti Ichthus]

Signs of the times. SMH

Considering TPTB want little robo-slaves, who are ignorant, fearful, and compliant, ensuring the masses are both indoctrinated and illiterate works toward their agenda. Taking away the screens, search functions, and written word, and force-feeding what TPTB want their minions to know is just a tool/strategy/tactic toward accomplishing this

A scary side effect is that illiterate people can't read the Bible, so they can't verify or disprove what they're told . . .

 

[Matthew6:33]

Considering TPTB want little robo-slaves, who are ignorant, fearful, and compliant, ensuring the masses are both indoctrinated and illiterate works toward their agenda. Taking away the screens, search functions, and written word, and force-feeding what TPTB want their minions to know is just a tool/strategy/tactic toward accomplishing this

A scary side effect is that illiterate people can't read the Bible, so they can't verify or disprove what they're told . . .

Surely it can't be much longer

 

[Amethyst]

This makes me feel like we have a lot longer to go.

This stuff needs to be rolled out and ready to go by the time the Trib starts. Not still in experimental stages where even Apple ceo doesn’t have a clue.

 

[Tall Timbers]

This makes me feel like we have a lot longer to go.

This stuff needs to be rolled out and ready to go by the time the Trib starts. Not still in experimental stages where even Apple ceo doesn’t have a clue.

There will always be something new on the horizon.

The a/c can easily work with what we have now.

 

[Work4Peanuts]

This makes me feel like we have a lot longer to go.

This stuff needs to be rolled out and ready to go by the time the Trib starts. Not still in experimental stages where even Apple ceo doesn’t have a clue.

Fortunately, we aren't dependent on waiting for the A/C or what tech is available when the trib starts. We wait for God's timing for the rapture, which is and always will be perfect, and that old devil can just lump it with whatever tech he has available to him whenever the tribulation starts.