Will Smartphones Become Obsolete? If So, What’s On the Horizon?
It’s hard to imagine a world without smartphones. Virtually everyone on the planet owns one and uses it every day to do everything from the complex to the mundane. Getting from here to there, finding a place to eat, getting a timely answer to a key question…it seems unfathomable that they’re not here to stay, like the air we breathe. But technology experts say that smartphones, like most cultural advancements, will someday be like the dinosaurs. Why do they think smartphones will become passe and what do they believe will replace them?
Why Do Smartphones Have a Shelf Life?
If you’ve been alive for more than 30 years, you’ve seen unimaginable changes and advances in a wide range of technologies. In fact, innovation is at the heart of technology and the speed of change seems to be continually increasing, with much of it driven by consumer demand and user experience. A couple of the fundamental shortcomings of most smartphones include:
- Screen size—Smartphones evolved from smaller to larger screens, but there’s a limit to how big the screen can be and remain “mobile.”
- Battery life—There’s really been no workable solution thus far to reduce the consumer need to regularly recharge. Larger batteries could help, but they defeat the purpose of mobile technology.
What’s Developments Are Around the Corner that Could Replace Smartphones?
The buzzword in the halls of technology is “augmented reality,” or AR. Instead of a handheld device, AR (as perceived by most) would involve interactive eyewear that is digitally integrated with your surroundings. In addition to having a microphone and earpiece, the glasses would “overlay” content on the real environment. Imagine asking a digital assistant for directions to a restaurant and having a map appear in the form of a hologram, or have arrows directing you where you want to go. Go into a shoe store and have the AR take you right to your size.
While AR technology is advancing at near light speed, it’s still a little ways away from meaningful use. For evidence, though, that smartphones may be headed down the path toward obsolescence, look no further than the Apple watch or the FitBit. Wearable technology includes more than devices you can attach to your wrist, though. Other developments include:
- Smart rings, jewelry that can be equipped to take voice commands and can include miniature cameras or screens
- Researchers are working on “smart fabrics” that have touch function capability
