【1986 Archives】

Hey986 Archives did you hear? Smartphones are dead.

That's according to Microsoft's Alan Kipman, better known as the inventor of the company's HoloLens augmented reality headset.

SEE ALSO: Microsoft's future phones might not even look like phones

"The phone is already dead," Kipman told Bloomberg. "People just haven’t realized."

If the phone is dead, then, what will replace it? Kipman believes a device capable of "mixed reality" could be its replacement.

Mashable Light Speed Want more out-of-this world tech, space and science stories? Sign up for Mashable's weekly Light Speed newsletter. By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up!

It's a bold claim that was sorta shared by Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella earlier this week when he said phones will look very different in the future. "I'm sure we’ll make more phones, but they will not look like phones that are there today."

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Stepping back for a second, it's pretty clear the statement is an exaggeration. Smartphones are far from dead. In 2016, 1.49 billion smartphones were shipped worldwide according to Gartner. That's a lot of friggin' phones.

Kipman's words reminds me of when everyone said laptops were dead when the iPad launched and kickstarted the tablet revolution for a "post-PC" world. Tablets became the hot new "computer", but sales have largely cooled down and continue to fall. The post-PC world never happened.

Also, of course phones are dead... for Microsoft. It lost the mobile war big time. Microsoft failed to convince anyone to care about Windows Phone and then Windows 10 Mobile, and its Nokia buyout turned out to be a waste of $7.2 billion.

VR, AR and mixed reality tech may be the darlings of the future, but that doesn't mean they'll replace phones. Just as PCs and laptops haven't been completely displaced, I just don't see phones going away anytime soon. They're gonna be here for a very long time.

---

Featured Video For You

---

What the iPhone will look like next

---

Topics Augmented Reality Microsoft

• Tech
• Games
• Shopping
• Digital Culture
• Life
• Social Good
• Science
• Deals

• The Story Behind the Home of Forgotten Video Games
• Mark Zuckerberg killed a goat and served it to Jack Dorsey ... cold
• Harvey Weinstein documentary 'Untouchable' hits Sundance: Review
• Apple changes its mind, says it'll pay photo contest winners after all
• NYT Connections Sports Edition hints and answers for April 17: Tips to solve Connections #206
• Why we binge
• 50 percent of Facebook users could be fake, report claims
• Microsoft's Bing blocked in China
• The Kindle Scribe just dropped to its lowest price ever, but is it worth it?
• Here's what the Macintosh looked like when it debuted in 1984

• Apple just accidentally confirmed a major new MacBook Pro feature
• Chris Hemsworth gleefully pokes fun at divorce rumours on Instagram
• Delta Air Lines now lets you obsessively track your luggage in real
• Xiaomi's announces Mi VR headset with remote control
• AT&T rakes in cash by selling spy service to law enforcement
• Moving film calls for the protection of the 'I' in LGBTIQ
• WhatsApp begins rolling out video calling feature, but there's a catch
• Woman groped on plane seeks advice on Twitter
• Undermined by warm water, Antarctic glacier lost 1,607 feet of ice in under 10 years
• Dude notices a stranger's Tinder photo was taken in his bathroom

• Best Sony headphones deal: Over $100 off Sony XM5 headphones
• Apple dismisses 200 employees from its Project Titan group
• 'Bohemian Rhapsody' pulled from GLAAD Media Awards after sexual assault allegations
• Here's a stunning pup portrait Snoop Dogg painted for his BFF, Martha Stewart
• 'The Last of Us' Season 2, episode 3's opening credits has a heartbreaking change
• Twitter experiments with ‘Original Tweeter’ tag on threaded conversations
• Electrify America charging network unplugs most fast charging stations
• Masculinity is having a moment
• Today's Hurdle hints and answers for April 23, 2025
• I don't like horror. Unless it's in a video game.

• Dyson V8 Plus cordless vacuum: $120 off at Amazon
• Here's a stunning pup portrait Snoop Dogg painted for his BFF, Martha Stewart
• Planned Parenthood launches a new sexual health chatbot for teens
• Stop what you're doing and look at these 23 adorable giant panda cubs
• Best Hydro Flask deal: Save $10 on a 24
• Amazon stops selling Echo Wall Clocks
• Zac Efron's 'Extremely Wicked' is shockingly pointless: Review
• Trump unleashes tweetstorm on former Miss Universe Alicia Machado
• What's Thermal Throttling and How to Prevent It
• New app makes typing mOcKiNg SpOnGeBoB mEmE text effortless