When was the last major technology breakthrough in mobile phone hardware?
Whilst cameras, screens and apps have continued to improve, the iPhone of today is not radically different physically from when it was first introduced back in June 2007 (other mobile phones are available!).
Here’s a quick test for you.
In which year did the following mobile comms events take place:
A – First foldable phone with OLED display
B – Launch of the Apple Watch
C – First phone with a 4K camera
D – First iPhone to record 4K video
E – Introduction of 5G technology
The answers are:
A – The first foldable phone with an OLED display was the Royole FlexPai (remember that?!) introduced in December 2018.
B – The Apple Watch first became available in April 2015, although orders had been taken in advance of its launch.
C – The first camera with a 4K camera was the Acer Liquid S2 in September 2013.
D – The first iPhone to record 4K video followed shortly after in 2015.
E – Vodafone UK launched its 5G network in July 2019.
What is interesting about all these events is that they took place in the previous decade. Does that mean therefore, that the mobile phone of 2035 or 2040 will be similar to the phone of today, or are more radical changes afoot?
What are the tech trends of the future phone?
Foldable and flexible
A trend that is already in the public consciousness is the move towards foldable flexibility. Mobile phones could ‘shape shift’ into the size needed by the user for a specific task i.e. using foldable screen technology, a palm-held mobile phone could morph into a workspace display as required.
The Motorola adaptive Display Concept is potentially a snapshot of things to come. The Motorola’s flexible pOLED display can bend and curve to the extent that it can transform into a wrist-wearable device.
Currently, the principal constraints on flexible screen technology are durability and cost. However, as has been seen with high-quality camera phones, the cost will come down quickly once the technology has been mastered and produced in volume.
Smart glasses
Does the future phone have to look like today’s phone? After all, ten years ago few people would have expected to be messaging and answering calls on a watch!
Although it may sound radical, using glasses as wearable tech is actually nothing new. The first widely available AR (Augmented Reality) glasses were the Google Glass, which went on sale in 2014. Military AR headsets, where digital information is overlaid onto the wearer’s normal view, predate Google Glass by fifteen years with the Battlefield Augmented Reality System (BARS) being released in 1999.
Whilst Google Glass was withdrawn in March 2023, it is reported that Apple may launching Apple Smart Glasses in 2026. Ray-Ban already has a range of Meta AI glasses, and it appears that it is AI that is driving this next wave of smart glasses. In the case of Apple, it is not a huge leap of imagination to see their Smart Glasses being a future iPhone hybrid.
Ambient computing and communications
Ambient computing, also referred to as pervasive or ubiquitous computing, refers to technologies that integrate into the environment and operate seamlessly without requiring direct interaction; the embodiment, for good or bad, of the always-on society.
The early stages of a potential ambient tech revolution are already with us; think Alexa, Google Home, RFID tags, Internet of Things (IoT), smart thermostats, security cameras and so on.
If you follow the ambient tech path to its logical conclusion, there would be no need for a physical ‘phone’ as we would be seamlessly linked into the ambient network. Instructions could be given verbally or using haptic controls (movement). What about a neural implant that facilitates all digital communications and interactions?
So, what does the future phone look like?
Based on the trends outlined above, Paperclip asked Open AI to produce a series of images illustrating what a future phone could look like. These images are used throughout this article.
How do you think you will be communicating in 2040?
Hi, I’m Louise Bellwood, Director at Paperclip. I am responsible for delivering Paperclip’s customer service and growth strategies for 2024 and beyond, I am a crusader for the benefits call answering can deliver for organisations of all kinds; customer service, sales generation, customer retention and more. If you have a question about call answering – pricing, set-up, benefits – I would love to hear from you at louise@paperclip.co.uk or 01246 418 181.