“The phone is already dead. People just haven’t realized,” said Alex Kipman, the creator of Microsoft’s augmented reality headset HoloLens, in an interview with Bloomberg. Kipman added that their augmented reality headset will soon take the place of smartphones everywhere. This was backed by a statement made by Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella that said they may be releasing phones “that don’t look like phones.”

While these claims may sound a bit radical now, it’s not unlikely to happen in the near future. Aside from Microsoft, companies like Apple are also known to be performing studies on how to make better use of mixed reality in some of their projects. Details of the study and progress of their studies, however, have yet to be shared with the public.

Microsoft is one of the tech brands who are more open about their standpoint on mixed reality and how it can be fully incorporated into some consumer devices. Currently, Microsoft is preparing to launch their latest operating system, the Windows 10 Creators Update, that is equipped with tools that are designed to “spark and unleash creativity” through the use of mixed reality and 3D content. These recent innovations will definitely highlight the need for mixed reality in some of our tasks like video editing, 3D painting, virtual learning, and more.

In an interview with MarketPlace, Nadella revealed that while Microsoft is far from abandoning their mobile phone efforts, they are working on incorporating augmented reality into their newer mobile devices and software.

While Microsoft’s Windows Phone global market share is down by 0.5%, statements both from Kipman and Nadella proves that the company is far from withdrawing from the race. With their Windows and hardware team now working together under one roof, Microsoft is certainly finding ways to improve the way they develop their devices in one seamless process.

Microsoft is clearly hard at work as they continuously find ways to make mixed reality technology more accessible to the public. Alongside the release of their latest operating system, the company will also begin shipping mixed reality headsets for only $299. At that price, the company is offering one of the most affordable MR devices out there today.

We can definitely see an increase in usage of mixed reality in the way we play, learn, and create. Only time will tell when we can start using this technology to make calls and send messages right from the palm of our hands.