The smartphone and other portable devices like the tablets, are probably one of the top three categories that people today are interested in from the standpoint of consumers.
That is why there is so much hype whenever one of the tech giants is about to release the latest and greatest phones. After a few years of stagnant progress (except for the processing speed and camera improvements), it seems like the smartphone industry is ready to innovate again with new cutting edge design.
The new trend it seems is an all screen phone which has been pushed to popularity with phones like Samsung Galaxy S9, iPhone X and the Essential PH-1 phone.
It really excites me to study the market and to try and read about the vision of these companies to figure out what’s next for the smartphone, because it is something that we all use and has become almost a necessity in today’s world. So, let me talk about what I think could be the direction of smartphones.
A Push Towards All Glass Design
Jony Ive, the lead designer at Apple has always been clear about his design philosophies. He has always tried to make as minimal products as possible and it really shows in Apple’s devices, as they are simple and elegant.
Recently he stated that it was always their goal to make an all screen iPhone and in the future he would like to do an all glass iPhone. This is really interesting and it gives you a sense of where they might be thinking of going.
If you have watched sci-fi movies or TV shows, you must have seen at one point, the characters using thin glass slabs as phones and tablets. And I think that will be the ultimate simplification and evolution of the portable devices. Can you imagine? Transparent glasses as your devices!
Granted these are years away and their functionality is still debatable. Right now, the industry is trying to make the perfect all screen phone and they have the infamous “notch” to remove from the front. I am sure they will figure it out in a few years time.
Smart Glasses - An Alternative To Smartphones?
Ever since the technology of augmented reality (AR) was launched, people have been quick to predict that this will be the end of smartphones as we know it. Augmented reality is a technology which brings virtual elements to the real world through some sort of device that you wear.
Right now, it is the bulky headsets that allows you to experience AR but overtime, this technology will be simplified so much that one day you will be able to have it on what would look like simple pair of spectacles.
In fact, Apple as been rumored to be working on a smart glass that will allow you to replace your phone altogether. Of course, the entire functionality of a phone would have to be replicated on the glasses before a complete replacement but miniaturization and faster computing speeds should allow for that within a decade.
So, is the future of the smartphone …. no smartphone at all? It might seem so even though it is quite a ways off. It is interesting to see what design innovation these companies will come up with before that happens. Personally, I would surely like to get my hands on an all glass phone!