What is the next for Smartphone, which
has become the hottest-selling consumer device around the world in just over a
decade? Even as Top makers like Apple and Samsung unveil new handsets with new
features and improved performance, smartphone sales have flattened with most
major markets largely saturated.
Next Catalyst – The next catalyst for Smartphones could be the possibilities
offered by the forthcoming 5G or fifth generation wireless networks, new form
factors or advances in virtual and augmented reality. But some analyst contend
that something entirely different may supplant the smartphone.
Transition – 2018 marks the beginning of the end of traditional
smartphones and sees a transition to a new era of computing and connected
devices based on voice, gesture and touch. The transition from smartphones to
smart wearable’s and invisible interfaces – earbuds that have biometric sensors
and speakers, rings and bracelets that sense motion, smart glasses that record
and display information – will forever change how we experience the physical
world. The Smartphone market is not going away, but it might change its shape
and form factor. The smartphone market still has legs for many years to come.
Evolving – The mobile industry is evolving to devices with more
immersive touch-less experience fueled by artificial intelligence, mixed reality
and gesture control. New devices may also see improved biometrics such as face
recognition, and changes such as foldable screens. Google and Amazon will lead
and drive innovation around smartphones and related ecosystems over the next
five to six years because of their strength in these emerging technologies.
Mobile Subscription – In the US, 91% of adults under 50 use a smartphone
and 95% teens have access to one. Europe had some 465 Million subscriptions at
the end of 2017, representing 85% of the population with more than two-thirds
of the devices smartphones. The market may get a boost in 2019 from 5G and a
likely appearance of the first devices with foldable or bendable displays.
Next Innovations –
Smartphones are still preferred by consumers despite the arrival of new devices
like smart speakers from Amazon and Google. The next innovations are likely to
be devices that are ever “smarter” than the current generation of handsets, with
artificial intelligence that is built in. The completion among tech firms is
now centering around the smart digital assistants like Amazon Alexa, Google
Assistant, Apple’s Siri and others.
