Smart phones are not dying, just getting smarter

Smartphones are evolving due to AI advancements, hardware capabilities, and changing consumer habits. The future of AI-powered devices is uncertain but promising.

There is a school of thought that argues smartphones, as we know them, are now on their last legs. The technology that will end them has been evolving in the background for a long while. But between how far artificial intelligence (AI) has come, the hardware that exists, and tapering sales in many parts of the world, things have reached a tipping point. Smartphones must morph into something altogether different. What shape or form these devices will take is tough to predict because so much of it is in the works right now.

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Once upon a time, phones were monochromatic devices in a world dominated by Nokia. Then Blackberry came along. The current avatar made its debut with iPhones. There’s was no looking back after that. Literature on the theme posits this trajectory is what AI-powered devices will follow as well. To take just one example, consider Augmented Reality Glasses. The capabilities embedded in it allow you to see and imagine the world in ways otherwise thought of as impossible.

Prasanto Roy, a New Delhi-based technology and public policy analyst has a reputation of injecting doses of sobriety in tech hyperbole. He makes the case why this future looks unlikely in the short term. “Televisions have evolved and become smarter. But people’s consumption of content on their smartphones has gone up even more.” He then points to music and says that despite music systems, “People’s consumption of music on their phones has gone up significantly.”

To make his argument stronger still, he suggests we break the smartphone up into its various components—the camera being one of them. His photographer friends, Roy says, carry bags with equipment. But high-end smartphones have massive capabilities that are not just technically as good as what the professionals use, but can do more than what regular cameras do. The crux of his argument is that a smartphone is the culmination of years of evolution into one device. With more robust hardware, things will get even better.

Consider Google’s Pixel 8, powered by the Tensor G3 chip, which offers features like Magic Editor and Best Shot. These AI-driven capabilities allow for advanced image manipulation and optimal photo selection, showcasing how deeply AI is embedded in the user experience​. Apple’s iPhone 15 Pro, with its A17 Pro chip, provides similar advancements, making on-device processing for real-time language translation and sophisticated image recognition possible without heavy reliance on cloud services​.

“So, if you want to pick out only three people out of a crowd, these devices have the hardware and software capacities to do that,” Roy says.

In much the same way, healthcare, too, stands on the brink of disruption. AI-powered smartphones can already monitor health metrics and provide real-time insights. The future promises even more diagnostics with smartphones and wearables offering personalized health recommendations and early detection of potential health issues. This could lead to significant improvements in personal health management and preventative care.

Prasanto Roy’s arguments find a taker in the Kuala Lumpur-based Manoj Menon, founder and CEO of Twimbit, a technology consulting firm. “Whenever something new emerges, the big tech fellas’ just consume them right away. They have become smarter. Look at the acquisitions of YouTube by Google, or WhatsApp and Instagram by Meta. These companies are so big, they practically buy out any competition. It’s like Gilette for Razors. Any new company that comes into play, gets acquired.”

The moral of the story is that smartphones are not just about incremental changes or sleek designs; it’s actually about a fundamental shift in how we interact with technology. As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to advance, the smartphone as we know it is set to undergo a dramatic transformation. This evolution is driven by several converging trends, each poised to redefine our digital experiences.

However, Roy also imagines a future where, much like governments the world over mandated a shelf life for cars, a mandate will come for smart phones. This will compel penny pinchers to upgrade. And that will be the last we hear of the “dying phone” hypothesis.