The future of communication has nothing to do with phones. This is what’s coming next

The mobile industry has managed to put a smartphone in nearly everyone’s hand. Now they’re moving on to something else.

[Illustration: Getty Images]

The mobile industry has spent the better part of four decades with one objective: putting a connected device in every human hand. That mission is nearly complete. Mobile services now reach about 5.8 billion consumers, roughly 70% of the people alive. In wealthy markets, almost anyone who wants to be reachable already is, according to the GSMA’s Mobile Economy 2026 report. The smartphone finished the job. Once almost everyone owned one, reaching another person stopped being the problem the industry existed to solve. So, if connecting people is nearly done, what comes........

© Fast Company