Since the release of the first mobile phone in 1983, mobile technology has come a long way. We now have small devices that manage to combine digital cameras, music players, internet connectivity and video recorders all in one handset.
The amazing rise in popularity of smartphones, which have now gone from a business domain to everyday use, has highlighted the importance of mobile technology in the modern age. People are no longer content with owning and carrying numerous different devices or only being able to perform functions in a certain place and time.
Now more than ever, customers are demanding all-in-one devices that can be used anywhere and everywhere. So what does the future hold for mobile phones?
We’ve compiled this guide to the directions the technology may take.
Increased Integration
Though this has already begun to occur, we can expect to see far more features and functions being integrated into our handsets in the future. The idea that your mobile phone could become the only accessory you need to carry around, making wallets, bank cards, music players, paper or bus passes redundant, is a popular one and we can already see this happening with today’s phones.
One of the biggest indicators of such a move is the introduction of near field communication (NFC) technology. This exciting new development allows communication between devices when placed in close proximity with each other and is being utilised in numerous different ways. Possibly one of the most important is as a means to pay for everyday products and services. Rather than carrying cash, a card or even a wallet, users can simply hold their phones close to a pay point and the money will be debited from their account.
Adaptation Abilities
Another direction mobile phone technology could head in is towards a greater ability to adapt to the user’s behaviour, routines and preferences. Much like the app featured in the picture. Saga, in essence your mobile phone would get to know you by constantly absorbing information about the way you live. If you drive to work everyday it will learn the route through routine and then every morning, before you’ve even woken up and checked your device, start working out whether there’s any traffic or unforeseen accidents and adapt your route accordingly.
Control Interfaces
There are numerous different control systems proposed for the future and it will be a while before we discover which one will reign supreme. However, we have had a glimpse of the potential future with existing voice command technology. Being able to control your entire phone just by speaking to it may seem a little strange at first, but we may soon see everyone strolling around seemingly talking to themselves if the technology really takes off. If you don’t like that idea, then developments in touch screen technology may also point to a different future.
Phones that employ three dimensional screens, that can move and adjust to touch and what’s being displayed may be an option. This would also open the door for screens that could display texture; a picture of a rock would be rough, while silk incredibly smooth and so on. There is the potential for phones that are nothing but one big touch screen, on which you could move items anywhere.
Whatever the future of mobile phones, we can count on witnessing some extraordinary technological developments.
