The introduction of the iPhone in 2007 is nothing short of a technological revolution that put wireless internet in our pockets. In addition, the seamless integration of apps and services has made smartphones the go to choice that offers a convenient lifestyle. So what lies in the future prospects of smartphones? Let’s take a look.
Read time: 5 mins.
Thanks to Moore’s Law, where Gordon Moore observed that the size of transistors shrinks so fast, that every 18 months, double the number of transistors can be put in a same area on a semiconductor chip.
Advancement in material technology and manufacturing technology has made this possible so far. Where transistors have shrunk to sizes of only a few atoms wide. Today we are at a point where a typical top end microprocessor has about 2 Billion transistors or more. And with 2nm process that number could be a 50 Billion!
Let’s look at the future evolution of smartphones from a hardware perspective.
Since launch, both the iPhone and Android phones have climbed a steep evolutionary ladder. Bigger displays with higher resolutions, better performing cameras, biometric sensors in the power button or under the display, bigger battery with super fast charging, Terabytes of storage options coupled with high speed Wi-Fi and 5G wireless and high speed data transfers.
Often it makes us wonder if smartphones have reached the tip of the evolutionary ladder in regards to what they can offer. If so, is there any possibility of radical change?
Couple of things that remain unchanged in this evolution of smartphones so far is the SIM card and the vulnerable, reflective display.
So every generation of mobile wireless right from 2G to now 5G demanded its own hardware, meaning the need for upgrading one’s phone every 2 to 3 years.
Need I say anything about the reflective display that’s pretty much useless under the sun? And the screen’s incapability to survive a small drop? Let’s talk about these future innovation in some detail.
SIM card-less Phones and Possibility of Cloning Smartphones!
Going forward we can expect smartphones without the need for SIM modules and the ability to have clones of smartphones which can sync in real time.
Meaning you can have 2 phones, keep one as a backup or spare, in case you lose one, simply deactivate it from the other phone or from your PC/Mac.
This will address the pain of data loss since not all data might be backed up either to the cloud or personal hard drives. Imagine all that time saved in setting up a new phone and not having to go through the pain of losing valuable personal information and data saved on the phone.
I am sure many will go for a secondary phone just in case? Would you?
This will be feasible when manufacturers think they have achieved terrific wireless speeds, camera quality and processing power and that any further upgrades may not be beneficial depending on the usage.
Since not all users have the need to upload/download Terabytes of data on a daily basis. And not many will need high processing power for regular use.
In which case smartphones could upgrade every 4-5 years or beyond from the current 2-3 years. Thereby saving money and reducing landfill. A big reason why many phones ends up in landfill is due the fact that fixing a broken screen either costs a lot or it’s not possible to fix.
If anything, this poll is proof that people are wanting better smartphones that will last a few years and add value to their money invested.
Non-Reflective (anti-glare) and Unbreakable Display
I am sure many of us have wondered about this at some point. Laptops with touchscreens that are also anti-glare, have existed for a long time. Why are we not seeing it on phones?
And we know what happens to phones with broken screens, them going to trash is inevitable and sooner. This only adds to the problem of E-Waste.
You may be interested in my blog 700 Million Unbreakable Smartphones!
Where I rant about the e-waste problem.
It’s about time manufacturers work on making the display non-reflective and crack proof, rather than pushing mediocre things like scratch proof glass. There are many versions of so called tough glass that in reality does not offer any useful protection.
And then we have foldable phones with ugly creases in the middle. Who wants that eyesore? I suppose the chances of dropping and denting the display on a folded phone is high compared to a regular phone.
A Smartphones Standard for a Wired Dock.
Nothing beats the simplicity and efficiency of wired connection. It’s so reliable.
Considering the power, cost and speed, the current wireless charging technology is at best, meh.
Imagine docking your phone to your computer and a copy of your phone pops up on the big screen. Where you can fully control your phone using your keyboard and monitor in a seamless way. Just like docking the laptop to a workstation setup.
No need to install apps, no laggy screen mirroring, no choppy data transfer.
All this while the phone is charging and quietly backing up to the cloud or to your local storage. And not to forget the clone feature where the phones are synching in the background as well.
Manufacturers may come up with a good docking standard for phones irrespective of their size. Bottom edge (chin) or one of the sides of the phone, or better, the back of the phone can have a receptacle with metal contacts for docking which then connects to the computer via USB type C/Thunderbolt or perhaps a new connectivity standard.
What experts are saying
Tech gurus propose the possibility of holographic displays, modular phones (who wants this?) and some expect no phones at all and suggest we could be using hands free devices embedded in bathroom mirror, alarm clock, car display, TV and what not, so you can keep yelling at these (IOT) Internet of Things devices to get your work done.
What are your thoughts on these predictions? What cool technologies do you expect to be see on your smartphone in the near future?
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This post first appeared on Quora.
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