Tech Cing

I don’t know about you, but I’m amazed at the speed that smartphone technology evolves! It seems that, each year, new models get released. They come with a plethora of weird and wonderful features that previous generations didn’t have.

I remember when I first made the move from a “regular” mobile phone to a smartphone. One of the cool features I liked was the gyro sensor that my new device had. Suddenly, pinball games were more fun to play! Not to mention the other uses, such as a virtual spirit level (suitable  for the DIYers).

Some industry critics believe that the market has reached a plateau. The new features that today’s models feature aren’t anything mindblowing. Do you remember when the world’s first camera-enabled mobile came out? That was incredible! Nowadays, critics argue that the latest features are just “improved” versions of existing technology.

So, what does the future have in store for tomorrow’s new smartphones? More of the same from what we already have? While I can’t tell you what’s happening in the future, I can give some pointers of future technology we are likely to see! Here are some of the top requests for the mobiles of tomorrow:

Augmented Reality

Yes, I know that there are some smartphone apps that claim to offer augmented reality features. But have you noticed that just involves taking a picture of something and geo-tagging that image?

Such features are useful if you always forget where you park your car, for example. But what happens if you want to use your phone’s camera to identify a landmark in real-time? Inroads are getting made into this technology. And it’s likely we’ll see it developed as part of the feature set for tomorrow’s handsets.

Cheaper prices

While not a feature as such, it’s no secret that today’s smartphones cost a small fortune. One of the classic examples of “expensive” handsets is the Apple iPhone.

I read over at https://www.facebook.com/IssaAsad1 how there is a federal “Lifeline” assistance program. In a nutshell, it’s for people that can’t afford cell phones.

I find it absurd that in today’s modern world companies charge so much for technology that costs so little to produce. I remember reading an interesting article from TIME magazine about the tear-down cost of an iPhone 6 16GB. The retail price for the handset from Apple is $649 in the United States. The cost to build it is $200!

There will come a time where consumers will refuse to spend nearly four-figure sums on a new cell phone each year or two. When that time comes, I will guarantee you that smartphone prices will drop significantly!

Bendable Smartphones

Today’s cell phones are all fixed “candy bar” devices. Some might have a flip-screen whereas others could have a sliding cover for the keyboard. But one thing that all these devices have in common is that they are inflexible.

Sometimes a smartphone just doesn’t fit well into your pocket or handbag. Future devices are likely to be flexible so that you could “mold” it as required. What are your thoughts of bendable smartphones – would you buy one?