The world has come a long way from when the first mobile phones were provided to the market in the beginning of the 21st century, Dave Millett of Equinox shares his viewpoints on the future of this fascinating technology. - See more at: http://www.12ahead.com/how-will-mobile-technology-and-smartphones-technology-evolve-future#sthash.WPcULP6j.dpuf
Less than 10 years ago, most people used either a Blackberry or Nokia as their mobile device. They were the two hottest telecoms companies of the day. Blackberry had a market capitalisation of over US$50bn, whilst Nokia as a whole was valued at US$150bn.
Fast forward to today. Blackberry has effectively admitted failure and just launched an Android phone, whilst having barely one percent of the handset market, whilst Nokia was snapped up by Microsoft for US$7bn and its name has disappeared from the mobile marketplace.
The death knell was sounded when the iPhone arrived and Blackberry was too slow to react. Mike Lazaridis, who was the then co-CEO of Research-in-Motion (RIM), was asked in 2007 about the threat from Apple’s phone. “How much presence does Apple have in business? It’s vanishingly small,” was his reaction, and he was dismissive of the idea that anyone would want a phone without a keyboard. The response from Nokia’s executives was similar. Only in recent times have they given up on the Symbian software and moved to windows based devices.
So, is anyone ready to predict that in five years Apple and Samsung will have fallen from grace in a similar style? And what will be the main changes to smartphones and mobile technologies and will anyone challenge the top two players?
The fastest sales growth in 2014 was in sales of Windows phones. Microsoft is focusing on the telecoms market with its acquisitions; not just Nokia but also Skype. With sales of Lync also expanding – they can make a challenge in both the fixed and mobile space. Samsung also play in that space but it is an area where Apple is weak. As devices become more integrated, could that be a chink in their armor?
One key challenge that all device makers face is battery life and this is something the providers are actively researching on as we speak. Samsung has a strength in this area and as more energy sapping applications are developed this will become even more pressing – look at the low battery life of the iWatch. Potentially solar or motion based charging may help to extend use.
The other option is the potential of modular smartphones, which is a concept Google is working on. It will allow users to create their phone, from clickable components, to their own personal specifications. Their idea, Project Ara, will mean that if you are using energy consuming elements, then you can put in a larger battery and carry a spare that is clicked in. It also means less waste if a component breaks and you can easily just replace it - not the whole phone. Hence saving costs for the user and the company.
Alternatively, whilst iPhones, when they first came out, were accused of ‘bending’ in pockets, one future trend could be roll up phones. Whilst this may seem like a far-fetched idea at the moment. However with technology one never knows if it will catch up in the future. The key challenge will be that electric circuits don’t like being bent, but rather the ability to roll up you iPad and pop it in your pocket is definitely on the horizon. Apple, for example, has already filed patents.
With the increase in the usage of mobile devices as a means of payment, security over who is using it becomes more important. Samsung and Apple have tried fingerprint control and they were shown to have weaknesses. Fujitsu already has prototypes for Iris recognition and this is probably the way forward as existing devices can monitor eye movement.
Augmented reality has been touted as the next big thing in mobile technology for a while — but it's getting closer. The idea extends the concept of QR codes, but uses the camera to scan something e.g. a street view and the screen recognizes it and makes suggestions about where to eat from what it sees, with price options and online reviews. Using the phone will be less intrusive than iGlasses, and the technology is most robust of all.
Finally, the other area for development is the technological shift from 2D to 3D smartphones. Some 3D devices are already available and are likely to become the norm. Therefore, the next step is likely to be holograms and projective devices. Samsung has already filed a patent for a light-emitting device that could be built into the front of a smartphone case. This means they could project images or films on to larger surfaces, perhaps removing the needs for TVs. The power demands will be high, which brings us back to the point that all the advancements sound fascinating, however the company that addresses the frustration of failing batteries may be the ultimate winner in the end. Will it? We shall see.
- See more at: http://www.12ahead.com/how-will-mobile-technology-and-smartphones-technology-evolve-future#sthash.WPcULP6j.dpuf.
source :12ahead.com
Sign up here with your email
ConversionConversion EmoticonEmoticon