Let me start with a confession: I assumed by now—in the year 2025—we’d be living in a world where I could walk down the street, glance through my glasses, and read a text message. Or check my email. Or pull up a map on my face like some cyberpunk badass. Not in an over-the-top headset. Just a clean pair of specs that don’t scream “look at this nerd.”

I’ve seen the demos. Google’s got a prototype. Apple’s got ski goggles they’re calling the Vision Pro. Meta has audio-only Ray-Bans. But none of them are giving me what I actually want: real-world usability without looking like I’m about to pilot a mech suit.

Let’s be clear: I don’t need virtual drum circles in my living room. I want to read a damn email while rolling down the sidewalk. I want to get directions whispered into my ear without pulling out my phone. I want to reply to a text with my voice and have it discreetly pop up in my vision. Is that really so much to ask?

Apparently, yes. Because right now, nothing on the market delivers that in a discreet, reliable, and accessible way. Google’s prototype comes close, but it’s still stuck in “TED Talk purgatory.” Apple, meanwhile, bet the farm on the Vision Pro—a headset so bulky you could spot it from a drone. Don’t get me wrong, it’s cool tech. But it ain’t practical. Not for everyday use. Not for walking around. Not for real people.

Which brings me to the one Apple product they actually did get right.

The goddamn Apple Watch.

Yeah, I said it. Best thing they’ve ever made. Hands down. You can talk about fancy MacBooks and cinematic iPhones all day, but when it comes to a tool that actually changes lives? The Watch wins.

For me, it’s like having a Dick Tracy communicator on my wrist. I’ve got cerebral palsy. I use a wheelchair. Sometimes I fall. And when that happens, my phone? It usually slides halfway across the room, completely out of reach. Even Siri isn’t helpful in that moment—because unless the phone is unlocked (which it often isn’t), she stays silent.

But my watch? My glorious, cellular-connected Apple Watch? It doesn’t care where the phone is. It doesn’t care if I’m on Wi-Fi. I can make a call. I can send a message. I can ask for help.

It has literally saved my ass.

And honestly? Most of the time, I don’t even touch my phone anymore. I answer calls on the watch. I get notifications. I set timers. I control music. It’s right there on my wrist, always ready, always reachable.

Which makes me wonder… has Apple forgotten Steve Jobs?

No offense to Tim Cook—he’s done some solid things—but Steve Jobs would’ve looked at the Vision Pro, thrown it across Cupertino, watched it bounce off the hood of his unregistered car, and then peeled out doing 150 mph just to prove a point. Because Steve knew that design wasn’t just about features—it was about how something made you feel. It was about simplicity. Elegance. Power hidden in plain sight.

If Apple had taken the spirit of the Watch and applied it to smart glasses, they’d own the space by now. But instead, we got a $3,500 headset that does a million things, none of which I asked for.

So if anyone at Apple is reading this: stop chasing movie scenes and start listening to the people who just want to live their lives better. Because we don’t need another headset. We need tools that disappear into our routine and quietly make everything easier.

Like the Watch.

Now give me my glasses.