The first real smartphone came out 11 years ago. The Apple iPhone. Followed by a tsunami of phones from other brands. Smartphones may have changed our lives, but in themselves they haven’t really changed much. They’ve become thinner, screens are bigger, camera and optics have evolved, new materials are used to construct a phone now. But they still have the same form factor, the same concept of a home screen, the same idea of apps to do different things and the same system of pressing an icon to open an app. Yes, sensors inside have changed, phones are faster, wireless functionality is better. But most smartphone innovation hasn’t really got us to do anything different. ‘Revolutionary’ new technology allows us to do the same things, just faster and slightly more efficiently.
Eleven years is a like a lifetime in the world of tech and the fact that the most important gadget hasn’t evolved much is slightly frightening. Well, this is the year that things will dramatically change. A lot of mind-blowing tech we’ve been hearing about for years seems to be all converging this year. Let me take you through the incredible things that are about to happen with your smartphone.
Battery
The frustration of poor battery life is soon going to be a thing of the past. Phones that last a week and with brand new battery tech are all set to be launched within months. Energizer has a new Android smartphone called the Power Max P16K Pro with a mind boggling 16,000-mAh battery. That’s about six times more than most smartphones and about two times more than most full-scale laptops. Your next phones will have nanobatteries, hydrogen fuel cells and even kinetic energy built in. Yes, your phone will micro charge as you move around. Battery life in phones will be around a week per charge by the time we are done with this year.
Flexible
{{/usCountry}}Flexible
{{/usCountry}}The Holy Grail. A flexible phone that bends, rolls and even folds. I’ve been writing about them since 2008. I’ve seen prototypes of bendable screens since 2009. And yet, they never seem to turn real. They will this year as the tech is finally done. Many companies are getting ready to release a flexible phone but it seems that Samsung will come out with it first. Samsung mobile chief DJ Koh told reporters that a Galaxy Note phone with a bendable screen will be coming out in 2018. Once the screen bends and folds, everything changes. A phone form factor is dictated by the fact that the screen is a static non-bendable object. Once it bends, phones will never look the same again.
True Full Screen
In a world divided between those who love or hate the notch on a zero bezel full screen, the all new Vivo Nex closes the debate emphatically. The company has been on a roll in terms of innovation recently. The Nex phone gets rid of the notch completely with two pieces of startling tech. A front camera that mechanically pops out from behind the screen and a fingerprint scanner that is built into the screen itself. While many had predicted similar tech from other mobile phones giants, Vivo startled the world by coming out with it first.
Indestructible
The good news is that the all new Corning Gorilla Glass that has just been introduced has already taken us to the level where glass is nearly indestructible. Phones made with this new glass will be way more robust and safe. Plus, self healing materials that erase nicks and scratches will become the de facto standard now for phones. Your phone falls and gets a big ugly gash. By morning the phone will have self healed. New materials like Graphene will transform the mobile industry. Even more interesting is the fact that phone cases like the Frenzel mobile airbag senses when your phone is in free fall and releases metal prongs to protect it from damage. Never ever have a broken phone or screen ever again.
This is just the start of amazing tech in mobile phones this year. These aren’t prototype or demo innovations. These and many more are ready for the big stage right away. Finally the 11- year-old smartphone will once again look and feel truly smart.
Rajiv Makhni is managing editor, Technology, NDTV, and the anchor of Gadget Guru, Cell Guru and Newsnet 3
Techilicious appears every fortnight
From HT Brunch, July 22, 2018
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