The Phones of Our Future

What does the future of mobile phones hold for us? The laws of technology broadly state that technology will inevitably get cheaper and cheaper, which naturally includes the technology involved in making smartphones. Cheaper devices very quickly end up in the hands of more and more consumers as they become more affordable. Where so called ‘feature phones’ still rule the roost, in third world and similar countries, smartphones will likely start to dominate as prices fall and access to the Internet becomes ubiquitous.

Let’s have a speculative look at some of the areas in which mobile phones may develop over the next couple of years.

A multitude of sensors
The Galaxy S4, unbeknownst to many of its users, has a number of additional sensors built into its hardware. These sensors measure things such as pressure, temperature, and humidity. Not only do phones know where they are and which way they are being held, but now they know how high they are, how warm it is outside, and more.

The applications for this kind of tech are quite fascinating. There are already a number of weather apps that are attempting to harness the readings generated from these phones to crowdsource weather. Devices used to monitor your personal well-being (heartbeat, sleep patterns, etc.) are also very popular.

Screen sizes
With devices like the iPhone5 and the Galaxy Note II, it’s easy to notice that smartphone screens are getting bigger. Where the ‘standard’ used to sit happily between 4.5 and 5 inches, many smartphones nowadays boast much bigger screens. Of course there are limits to where this trend can go, before phones simply become tablets. Devices like the Note II create a sort of middle ground between a phone and a tablet, known as the ‘fablet’.

The ramifications of larger screen sizes in regards to apps are also very interesting. A larger screen, improved processing power, and better resolution display technology mean users can do more in that space than they could previously. Already Samsung and Blackberry allow apps to be run side by side, taking multitasking to a new level. Will we see drag and drop, and much closer integration between apps? Will apps take advantage of this added real estate and allow us replicate tablet and laptop activities on our smartphones? Maybe one day we will see a fully functional word processor on a smartphone.

Gesture control
When Apple launched the iPhone, touch interfaces weren’t anything new. But, Apple made the aspect of ‘touch’ seem special, futuristic and modern. Now, gesture control is poised to take the spotlight as the next big way to interact with your phone.

Waving your hand in front of your phone might not seem revolutionary, but the possibilities are significant. What if you could attract your phone’s attention from the other side of the room, simply by waving at it? What if apps understood exactly what you were looking at on the screen? Samsung is working in this area and already have created video apps that pause when you look away.

Wearable phones
Google has recently unveiled the Google Glass, and whilst only a select few people have gotten their hands on one, it is already quite clear that this device could be a game changer. The device alone warrants several blog posts of its own, but the point here is that phones may not always come shaped like the cell phone and smartphones we have grown used to. The future of wearable phones (glasses, watches, etc.) really isn't too far away.