Life After the Phone Screen
Dan Peguine@danpeguine
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prices unavailable right now · since Oct 1
The idea
I believe the phone screen is losing its grip as voice, earbuds, and glasses take over how we compute on the go, and the real money is in what that shift changes, not just the gadgets themselves. So the bulk of this basket sits in the ripple effects: fewer distracted-driving accidents for auto insurers, new real estate on faces and ears for eyewear and audio brands, and more attention flowing back to the physical world for outdoor media and live events. A smaller slice backs the companies driving the shift directly, and I'm keeping some cash on the side.
What it owns
- These companies are building or enabling the core technologies driving the move from phone screens to glasses, voice, and wearable computing. · Meta PlatformsIt builds and ships consumer smart glasses that move computing from the phone screen to the face, making it the clearest direct bet on the shift itself., AppleIt already dominates on-the-go audio through AirPods and wearables through the Watch, positioning it to own the computing interface if it moves from phone screens to voice and the wrist., AlphabetIt operates the largest voice assistant and search platform, so a world where people talk to computers instead of typing into them amplifies its core strength., Knowles CorporationIt manufactures the tiny microphones that voice-activated devices require, making it a hardware supplier to the shift itself regardless of which brand wins., Cirrus LogicIt supplies audio processing chips for earbuds and phones, so more voice interaction and listening across glasses and earpieces drives semiconductor demand.25%
- Computing shifting from handheld screens to glasses and earpieces makes the face and ear the new centers of attention, letting platforms and hardware makers that own those surfaces capture value. · Spotify TechnologyIt is the leading platform for audio streaming, so the shift from phone screens to earpieces and voice interfaces naturally routes more listening time through its service., Warby ParkerIt sells consumer eyewear at scale, so if glasses become the primary face-worn computing platform, frame demand grows across its customer base., National Vision HoldingsIt sells affordable eyewear at high volume, so broad adoption of glasses as a daily worn device lifts unit demand across its retail footprint., SonosIt builds speakers and audio hardware for the connected home, betting that voice-first interfaces increase demand for dedicated sound equipment beyond earbuds.24%
- Reduced screen time correlates with fewer distracted-driving crashes, which lowers claims costs for auto insurers before competitive pricing adjusts. · Progressive CorporationIt collects auto insurance premiums and pays claims, so fewer distracted-driving crashes mean lower claim costs stay in its pocket until pricing adjusts to the new reality., Allstate CorporationIt writes auto insurance policies, so declining distracted-driving accidents improve its claims profile and margins before premiums reprice., Travelers CompaniesIt underwriters auto and other property policies, so falling accident rates as screen time drops while driving improve its overall claims picture and margins.22%
- When people stop looking down at phones in public, they notice billboards, attend more events, and spend more time and money in physical spaces. · Lamar AdvertisingIt owns a vast outdoor billboard network, so more heads-up time in public spaces translates to higher visibility and value for its ad inventory., Live Nation EntertainmentIt books and operates concerts and live events, so more people actually present and engaged in the physical world drives higher attendance and spending., Outfront MediaIt operates transit and urban advertising spaces where commuters naturally look when not focused on phone screens, capturing regained attention., Clear Channel OutdoorIt owns outdoor advertising infrastructure with higher leverage than peers, capturing outsized upside if outdoor ad spending recovers as eyes come off phone screens.21%
- Cash8%