Technology is constantly evolving and we’re constantly adapting to make use of new technology designed to make our lives easier, faster and many times more convenient. Mobile technology has played a large role in the growth of technology over the past half-decade, and we’ve now reached a point where smartphone technology has hit a turning point both hardware and software wise.
The reason for this? – In its current form, there really aren’t many ways to make mobile technology even easier, faster or convenient without a complete redesign both in physical appearance and practicality.
Because of this, manufacturers are striving for new designs for their mobile technology brands. What will this look like for the average smartphone user in the years to come? And how much will change in the mobile world in the next 5 to 10 years?
Hardware redesign
Whilst it’s unlikely that we’ll completely drop the basic smartphone mobile design, there have been some shifts in focus for many manufacturers, including tech giants like Samsung, Apple and Google.
This shift is moving us towards a generation of wearable mobile technology- the Google Glass project is currently underway, and although it may seem out of the ordinary to wear a pair of ‘smart glasses’ in public today, it’s very likely to become acceptable social behavior within the next 5-10 years.
Other companies have started to invest time in other wearable tech such as smart watches. For example, Samsung recently released their Galaxy Gear smart watch device along with the brand new Galaxy Note 3. At the announcement event for these two devices, Samsung wanted to make it clear that the Galaxy Gear could act as a quicker-to-access companion to the Note 3, subsequently giving owners faster access and more convenience than they would have with a non-wearable smartphone.
Samsung doesn’t expect the Galaxy Gear to sell out like hot cakes like the Galaxy Note 3 might, but it’s a large step into wearable mobile technology territory and many other manufacturers are now sure to follow.
Change in Software
Whilst Android and iOS still make up the majority of the smartphone market, there is still plenty of space for software innovation. For example, Firefox has teamed up with ZTE to bring poorer countries a more affordable and simple to use mobile operating system called Firefox OS. Firefox OS phones can be picked up for dirt cheap and they are the beginning of the world’s attempts to bring everybody into the connected world we’re so used to using in first world countries.
Larger manufacturers that currently use Android may branch off to make their own mobile operating system. This already seems to be the case with Samsung, a manufacturer that has managed to bag a lot of attention for its popular Android Galaxy range. Samsung have a mobile OS called Tizen currently in the works and many believe this may be the new face to the Galaxy range in the near future.
For the average consumer this will open more avenues to choose from when purchasing a new mobile, and this will allow smartphone users to find an experience that suits them best.
Changes in Practical use for Our Mobile Technology
The last thing that will probably happen in the next 5-10 years is the introduction of many different industries into the smartphone world. For example, mobile healthcare is on the rise, and many are working hard to bring self-care and other health regulation software to the average smartphone user.
We also may be able to use our smartphones for security purposes to help secure our car, house and other valuable possessions.
Other improvements in practical use for our smartphones could involve better locational based software to help find and suggest products that could be beneficial to each individual in their local area.
The growth of the mobile industry is a very quick process and it isn’t going to slow down any time soon. If you were to tell somebody 15 years ago that in the future we’ll be able to own phones that can do almost everything a personal computer can and still fit in our pockets, they probably wouldn’t believe you. It’s clear that in the next 15 years mobile technology could evolve to a point no one could even dream of today.
