The discussions that smartphones are going to die are quite intense, while you might still be willing to wait for the next generation of iPhones. It is hard to make predictions about smartphones for a couple of reasons, and one of them is that we love our phones, and we spend a lot of time staring at the screen.
There are several scenarios of how the future can develop smartphones and how would they look like decades later. We tried to cover the 3 most possible or maybe most-wanted options, 2 of which are about smartphones being replaced by other technologies.
But until that, it is widely believed that smartphones are here to stay. So, let’s start from there.
Smartphones Are Not Ready to Retire Yet
As mentioned, people love their smartphones, which have become a part of our daily life.
Since the beginning of their popularity, they have been serving users in many different ways, increasing their abilities every year. If we take the example of gaming, it’s obvious how smartphones play a big role in it.
The gaming market is booming, and developers and businessmen know about it very well.
Another example is gambling. Casinos have moved from their physical locations to our pockets. Year over year, the more the technologies develop, the more people get glued to their phones to play poker or other games.
Especially after the rise of cryptocurrencies, Bitcoin casino and crypto game offers are in demand. And with this being said, users usually prefer playing on their phones, rather than on a computer, because the smartphone is always with them.
The problem is that there are many things in a queue to empower the users of phones. For example, not only paying but also accepting payments directly through your phone. Many believe that augmented reality has a lot to offer the users.
Apple and Samsung haven’t stopped yet building super cameras on their phones, and the competition is still in process.
Smart Glasses
These are not a dream for the future, since smart glasses already exist, and some people wear them. There are a variety of different options, but there is one big weakness those glasses have: They do not fully function or they do not function at all without smartphones.
You need to connect via Bluetooth and then use the glasses as an extension to the phone. As of now, smart glasses are the alternatives not to smartphones but maybe smartwatches.
If the day comes, when smart glasses function independently without the need for any phone, would you give it a try? Well, there are some issues, and the biggest one is the absence of inclusiveness.
For example, people who already wear eyeglasses to improve their vision, how would they be able to wear those smart glasses? By the way, the same people who usually wear eyeglasses definitely can tell you how many times they broke their glasses by accidentally sitting on them or falling them down.
And if the smart glasses will be this fragile (let’s believe they would, because being light and wearable means being fragile), then no one is ready to pay hundreds of dollars every once a year.
Electronic Tattoos
This idea is pretty much controversial, and if the author were just a journalist posting on his microblog or even a field expert, we would skip this option. But since this prediction comes from Bill Gates, we can’t help but think twice about the possibility.
Some companies already started working on the technology, although it’s hard to believe that electronic tattoos, even after becoming a reality, can replace smartphones.
Let’s bring up only 2 arguments for why they can’t be widely accepted:
First, electronic tattoos may implement some smartphone (or smartwatch) functions, like measuring blood pressure, calculating your steps during the day, etc., but they will not be able to access the internet or let you watch a movie, right?
And second, billions of people will never wear tattoos just because of cultural and religious reasons.
Foldable Phones
Samsung has already produced two types of foldable phones, but to be honest, those are not the versions that can replace the current smartphones or revolutionize the market. Maybe this is the reason why Apple still avoids making their foldable phones.
One of the reasons can be the weight and thickness of the phone, which is not brilliant in Samsung’s case, and next is making foldable phones, for Apple will mean to shut the door on the iPads.
The best predictor is the future itself, and time will show how everything turns out, but for now, smartphones are loved and valued.
Take the most out of your devices, but don’t forget to give yourself a break and enjoy the life around you, because however much the smartphones develop, the reality will remain the best experience for us.