Phone apps killed gadgets, but AI is bringing them back.

For the better part of two decades, we’ve been devoting space in our pockets and bags to smartphones (and increasingly larger ones).

The rectangular slabs were MP3 players, PDAs, and cameras. The app economy on Android and iOS has opened up a lot of doors to what you can do on your smartphone, what services you can access, and how you can make money (i.e. selling in-app purchases, influence, etc.).

Smartphones and apps have changed everything, eliminating the need for separate devices in the process. But if you pay close attention, you’ll notice a trend. Generative AI, machine learning, and growing doubts about whether his one device that does it all is actually any good have weakened our focus on smartphones.

A small window of opportunity to unbundle mobile phones is opening up, and with it a new wave of AI-first gadgets. But do we really want our pockets to be filled with devices again?

try new things

With more than a month left until their March launch, the Humane Ai Pin and Rabbit R1 both look set to replace the phones you already have in your pocket, despite efforts by both startups to rein them in. It appeared in time. That impression. Voice assistants, laser projectors, and scroll wheels are in many ways intentionally trying to create new kinds of experiences for users, but they still have an air of novelty to them. Still, the similarities remain.

Ai Pin does not work without a $24 monthly subscription that includes cell phone service. Devices worn on clothing have a phone number attached to them and allow you to send text messages and make calls. Humane is ditching the concept of apps in favor of an ever-increasing number of bespoke integrations and skills – the ultimate ‘software as a service’.

Although the Rabbit R1 looks like a phone, cellular connectivity remains completely optional. In fact, at a price of $199, Rabbit claims that no additional subscriptions are required at all. Access to Rabbit’s integrated AI models is completely free. R1 similarly hides apps and lets you log into services like Spotify and Uber. Then, when you request a playlist or order a ride, you let Rabbit’s “large-scale action model” navigate and control your web app.

These devices can do what a smartphone can do. They simply continue to deliver results (and let’s face it, we don’t know how well they can deliver results) in a largely hidden and untouched way. It may not replace your smartphone, but it’s hard to avoid comparisons when smartphones take on so many things that were previously done by separate devices.

old way

We didn’t always rely on one device for everything. I’m from the generation that was able to own a smartphone for at least part of my adolescence, but I remember a time when my phone, camera, and MP3 player were separate things that I had to carry around with me. There’s always room for going against the grain in style, so going back to film cameras, iPods, and flip phones has obvious aesthetic appeal. But Y2K aesthetics aside, there’s charm and practicality to a gadget that does one thing and one thing only.

Easily read e-books on your phone or tablet. Even though screens have gotten higher and higher resolution and have become more fun to interact with over time, there’s a reason the Kindle is still a big seller. The E Ink display is easy on the eyes. A hard drive dedicated to books and audiobooks will fill up much slower than a hard drive you need to cram with photos and videos. It makes sense to have a dedicated device for reading.

The iPod has so many cultural associations, but the modders who keep it alive are catering to the needs of teenagers who like how they look as much as people who want to concentrate on listening to music. I am responding. Streaming has changed music culture, but it won’t be all that difficult to get back on track. I loaded up the Playdate with an MP3 player app and stuffed it with music from Bandcamp, but I pretty much got away with carrying one more thing. It’s not as impossible as it seems back in the days of owning multiple devices. Maybe there was a reason we tolerated carrying bags of electronic devices in the first place.

free your mind

It’s too early to claim that 2024 will stop us from seeing new gadgets. Smartphones may change again and swallow up other new ways of computing. But my hope is that curiosity and the belief that smartphones aren’t perfect multitaskers will lead to something completely different. It’s probably not a smartphone replacement, but a new kind of product that fits in the same way as e-readers, MP3 players, and other gadgets.