AR is Disrupting Smartphones. Time to Invest in Next Generation Computer Interface?

Smart glasses are disrupting smartphones as the next generation human-to-computer interface. Meta leads in spending reportedly up to 100B in AR/VR efforts. Consumer, industrial and military adoption is happening fast. Phone makers are already abandoning hand-held devices for glasses. I'm more interested in growth exposure than getting a pair.

This is Meta's best chance of entrenching its media platforms into next hardware transition. Apple is conjuring something and Google is jumping back into battle after defeat of its first Glass attempt. Samsung is Android armed but MSFT appears done with AR after handing its program over to Anduril.

Competition is fierce. The Bigs are willing to ignore hardware profits to build or maintain walled gardens. Unlike with phones, China has access to US AR markets and doing very well. US companies will remain leaders as wearables become the ultimate AI infrastructure.

Google seems favored with software advantage but Meta is clearly ahead in hardware. New, optical technology is driving most development and suppliers have potentially more growth opportunity than choosing between multi-trillion dollar market caps.

AR tech has many directions but I'm focused on what Meta, the market leader is saying. Would love to learn more about LED projection leaders but they are mostly in Taiwan. Silicon Carbide (SiC) has emerged as holy grail of AR lens material. Most SiC stocks are down, apparently from EV downturn but electrification is unstoppable.

Meta is [obsessed with SiC](https://www.meta.com/emerging-tech/orion/silicon-carbide/?srsltid=AfmBOoqGHM89ZbE8rv3Wa9E5hHznW-f0HyXU0wJbyvvk-K36jHSFCL8h) for AR lenses, representing enormous new market for SiC material players. AR lenses use much more material than semiconductors. Meta says very [clearly that SiC](https://www.meta.com/en-gb/blog/orion-silicon-carbide-waveguides-ar-glasses-large-field-of-view/?srsltid=AfmBOopiyAo_In4xX0fkG6_LdK_pGVyp81O92qw1l6cyYcXtUrZsuzNv) is their goal for AR lenses. Director of Meta optics, Barry Silverstein is practically begging industry for more SiC in this [Photonics Spectra article](https://www.photonics.com/Articles/Silicon-Carbide-Bridges-the-Gaps-Between/a70690).

I have a basket of SiC and GaN stocks focused mainly on SiC materials market leader. I also have been building high performance battery plays but they have optimistic valuations right now. Curious how others are investing in the AR glasses and related optics space.