AI wearables may answer questions, manage messages, and handle routine tasks, but Mark Gurman does not expect them to replace the iPhone. His latest Power On newsletter argues that people will continue to need a powerful device with a useful screen.
The iPhone Duo strengthens that case by putting a larger display in a pocketable product. It suggests Apple sees AI as a layer that makes the phone more capable, not as a reason to remove the screen and move every interaction to glasses, earbuds, or a small wearable.
AI can automate tasks, but screens still matter
Gurman wrote that there is “no universe” where a tiny-screen or screenless gadget replaces everything people do on phones.
His examples are practical. An AI assistant can help with calendars, email, calls, research, and text messages. Reading a long article, playing a detailed game, editing a photo, or joining a video meeting still benefits from a display. Those activities also need precise controls and visible context that voice alone cannot always provide.
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Apple’s Duo announcement connects Siri AI and personal context to the phone’s 7.6-inch inner display. It also highlights multitasking, content, gaming, and FaceTime. The result is an AI device that expands when the user needs visual space. Our Duo Split View comparison shows how two apps can share that larger canvas.
This does not make future AI wearables unimportant. Glasses, headphones, and other accessories could become faster ways to reach an assistant when a screen would be inconvenient. They are more likely to surround the iPhone than eliminate it, especially while the phone remains the place where users review information and make careful choices. A comparison of iPhone Duo and Vision Pro shows how Apple positions a central device differently from a specialized screen.
The Duo’s price will keep it from becoming the default iPhone immediately, but its design reveals Apple’s broader direction. The central computer stays powerful, visual, and portable, while AI reduces the effort needed to use it. Would you trust a screenless AI device as your main computer, or would you still carry an iPhone? Tell us in the comments.
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