Research firm IDC has released a forecast saying augmented and virtual reality gear and apps will surge in the next few years. That’s the latest evidence that the smartphone won’t be the center of our computing universe forever–in fact, not even for very much longer. Our focus will begin moving from the smartphone to devices fitted to our bodies, including augmented reality (AR) devices.

Smartphones have been important for so long that we often don’t think about how clumsy it can be to handle that slippery square of glass and metal. It’s especially cumbersome in the age of personal assistants and augmented reality, which require close interplay between the tech and our ears and eyes.

For Apple, the Apple Watch was the first evolutionary step away from the smartphone. That device shows us, in quick glances on the wrist, communications and notifications that would normally call our attention back to the smartphone. But instead of reaching for the smartphone, a Watch wearer can either ignore it or send a quick reply from the wrist. The phone can stay in a pocket or purse with the ringer off.

The second major hint came with the AirPods, which put things like the Siri assistant and driving directions in our ear. Again, the phone acts as the base station for the experience, but it can stay out of sight.

AR glasses will be the next major step. Apple already began to set the stage when it unveiled its powerful AR app developer tools in June. Developers have gotten busy creating experiences where digital objects are placed in the real world as seen through the camera and screen of the smartphone.

But Apple design chief Jony Ive surely understands that mainstream users aren’t going to want to hold their smartphone up in front of their face Pokémon Go style. In order to fulfill the vast potential of AR, the experience will have to be hands-free and immersive as only glasses can enable.

Glassed Out

Google saw this coming a long time ago with its ill-fated Google Glass. But the components weren’t quite ready–in fact, they probably still aren’t–which hindered the sleekness of the design and the attractiveness and usefulness of the interface shown in the lenses. In the end, Glass was seen as a science project–something worn by ubergeeks but not regular folks.