Smartphones have been with us since they were first introduced in 1996. They have evolved over time, but never really took off until the introduction of the iPhone by Apple and the Android OS by Google 5 years ago. Already these devices have converged lots of functionality which is a valid substitute for many of items we may have once used, or some people are still using. You can view a list here.
Both have seen staggering growth since their introduction with sources claiming their sales and market shares to be a range of figures with some even claiming the installed base for all smartphones is now 1 billion, and Eric Schmidt CEO of Google was bold enough to say Android alone will hit 1 billion next year.
What is very clear is the recent surge is a result of a lot of technology convergence. Recent advances in touchscreens, augmented reality and cloud computing are all playing their part in adding to the smartphone boom. And in the future flexible displays and even sixth sense technologies could all help add to the ongoing convergence in the future.
Presented here are three visions of what will happen with your smartphone in the next several years.
- Smartphone lifestyle changes
- The Pocket GP/Medic
- Your mobile supercomputer
- Your mobile digital wallet
Your future medical monitor, alarm and assistant
A lot of work is being invested into turning the humble smartphone into an intelligent medical assistant for the future.
Already using stock standard systems included in all smartphones today, they can be used to monitor your pulse/heartbeat using low cost apps from the various app stores.
Pulse reading in action
Pulse reading outcome screen
Video of pulse reading in action
Speech recognition software can be used to determine if you're too inebriated to drive, or if you might be suffering a brain disfunction that may be causing a recent speech impediment.
Eyesight tests can be performed with these devices, and even the digital camera can be put to use to monitor eye health by imaging the eye and sending the images off to a professional for assessment. In the future cloud computing applications could do this analysis and give you a near instant diagnosis report.
The use of dedicated medical alarms can be replaced using your smartphone. A variety of uses have already been explored and some vendors are specialising in health and fitness applied apps.
What developers are attempting to do for the future is build powerful cloud computing based medical databases with active diagnosis logic to assist both medical personnel and consumers determine what might be ailing a patient and recommend treatment strategies both through observable symptoms, Q&A with the patient and through what ever useful sensory tools the phone may possess.
Simple first aid guide apps are already around (Blackberry example) and older military derived app guides for battlefield and survival use have been around for some time.
Simple first aid guide apps are already around (Blackberry example) and older military derived app guides for battlefield and survival use have been around for some time.
Science fiction writers have long conceived of powerful pocket medical analysis devices, the most famous of which is the Star Trek medical tricorder which was debuted with that TV series back in the 1960s.
Toy example of the original Star Trek medical tricorder
The concept of the tricorder is being given serious attention and Qualcomm is offering an X-Prize for developers to build working prototypes based on smartphones of a device that will meet all the goals of the project.
X-Prizes have been a great way to stimulate commercial development and Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic Space Airline and the suborbital craft developed for it came about as a result of an X-Prize posted for a commercial operator to develop a working manned space platform.
With the wealth of applications being developed today one existing smartphones, the possibility of advanced medical accessories being linked to smartphone apps and eventually devices including useful advanced tricorder like technology will revolutionise the way you initially seek medical advice.
Think of your future smartphone as your pocket GP/Medic.
Your mobile digital supercomputer
Smartphones have already advanced so quickly that their computing performance now matches consumer desktop computing from 2006 and is set to continue to advance to super computer scale performance by 2018.
Smartphone vendors and their army of hundred of thousands of independent software developers are advancing the sophistication of the software tools that really make Smartphones 'smart'. The ease of use and usefulness of applications found on these devices, combined with advances in computing performance will make these devices a powerful alternative to traditional desktop and laptop PCs.
Already smartphones can power large monitors, accept the use of pen stylus tools, can use traditional wireless (and even wired usb) keyboards and can use a range of traditional external usb based storage devices. And Android devices using Android 3.1+ can use a bluetooth mouse.
Movie showing standard bluetooth mouse support on small Samsung tablet
Why carry around a bulky laptop, or even have a big tank of a PC at home, when your trusty pocket smartphone can meet all your needs and be linked to more appropriate storage and input/output devices as your needs dictate? Vendors are already trying hybrid products in the market. Several vendors such as Asus and TransPhone have introduced products that transform a smartphone into a tablet.
Motorola did a primitive solution to turn a smartphone into a notebook.
And concept creators have even envisaged docking an iPad to an iMac like device, turning your iPad into a full computer experience.
Motorola did a primitive solution to turn a smartphone into a notebook.
And concept creators have even envisaged docking an iPad to an iMac like device, turning your iPad into a full computer experience.
Transphone smartphone-tablet product
Asus current smartphone-tablet product
Asus previous smartphone-tablet product
Motorola's early smartphone notebook hybrid
Concept of turning an iPad into a full Mac
In the future your phone will be the hub of your personal and business computing. And it will be able to run the desktop optimised OS you want - changing how it works when you plug it into a monitor, keyboard, mouse and other desktop optimised tools (as opposed to a pocket device).
Today you can run retro computers on your smartphones and tablets such as classic era Mac or even Windows, Linux or Unix OSs you'd run on a conventional PC all on an Android device. The devices are very capable and the only restrictions are licensing rights, vendor AppStore restrictions and the more limited hardware (for now). Right now a top model phone or tablet is on par with a 2005 desktop PC - so running Windows XP, Office 2007, Photoshop CS3 and other similar powerful OSs and software is all possible.
As the power increases, so will the access of certain devices to run a more powerful app base from a wide range of platforms. Think back to those OSs and apps that just ran fine - many of us functioned just fine on 1990s era systems for word processing, spreadsheets and even moderate photo work - we can have that and more. Imagine what is coming out on PCs in the next year or two will be accessible for phones just a few short years afterwards.
Today you can run retro computers on your smartphones and tablets such as classic era Mac or even Windows, Linux or Unix OSs you'd run on a conventional PC all on an Android device. The devices are very capable and the only restrictions are licensing rights, vendor AppStore restrictions and the more limited hardware (for now). Right now a top model phone or tablet is on par with a 2005 desktop PC - so running Windows XP, Office 2007, Photoshop CS3 and other similar powerful OSs and software is all possible.
As the power increases, so will the access of certain devices to run a more powerful app base from a wide range of platforms. Think back to those OSs and apps that just ran fine - many of us functioned just fine on 1990s era systems for word processing, spreadsheets and even moderate photo work - we can have that and more. Imagine what is coming out on PCs in the next year or two will be accessible for phones just a few short years afterwards.
Change your life - go mobile.
Your credit card evolved!
Already here in New Zealand you can use certain models of smartphone as a Snapper stored value card. Overseas you can get little device addons that allow you to accept credit card payments (could this be the end of the dedicated EFTPOS terminal?). And a mobile app here in New Zealand is pitching to solve this problem now. Banks are offering mobile banking apps, impulse savings apps, and even tap to pay features.
With Apple's Passbook also catering to event tickets, airline boarding passes, discount vouchers, gift cards and other ticketing/pass systems a lot of things your humble wallet/purse used to do will vanish.
Will your passbook, drivers license and other ID be next? Probably... your smartphone and its successors look likely to become your cyber-digital extension... maybe no human could function without one in the future... watch the technologic frontier... its about to get interesting.
The big list of smartphone features
The following is a list of the features and functions smartphones now can perform, both due to their hardware and the versatile software being produced for them.
- cellphone
- diary
- calendar
- alarm clock/stop watch
- notepad/shopping list
- ereader
- calculator
- music player
- video player
- still camera
- high definition video camera
- GPS location/navigator
- voice recorder/dictaphone
- web browser
- game console
- compass
- altimeter
- speedometer/accelerometer
- noise meter
- map book
- pocket language translator
- photo editor
- music editor
- video editor
- emergency/medical alarm
- stored value card - aka Snapper
- mobile banking tool
- presentation presenter - aka mobile powerpoint
- travel guidebook
- universal remote control
- pocket pen light
And the list just goes on. Features and functions are in imaginations of developers both of the smartphones, apps and even accessories made to work with them.