Smartphones have come a long way over the past few years, no longer are they the simple device to make a call, they can now practically run your whole life for you from your pocket. Of course, that was no accident; smartphone manufacturers have been developing phones to do exactly that so that consumers will invest in their latest technology and upgrades. However, with smartphones getting more advanced, what will the future of these devices have in store for consumers?
Fingerprint Scanners
The appearance of the fingerprint scanner on smartphones made them more secure and also made the need for remembering pin numbers a thing of the past. However, because manufacturers have wanted to increase the screen size, the scanners traditional position on the home button became obtrusive. Some manufacturers like Android moved their scanners to the back, while Apple decided to do away with it altogether in favor of Face ID. New technology has now been developed that allows your fingerprint to be read through the screen using ultrasonic sensors and reading between the pixels. Some new phones from China have already used this tech on their new phones, and others are likely to follow soon.
Multiple Cameras
Cameras on smartphones have been getting better and better with manufacturers like Sony introducing 20 plus megapixel lenses. However, there is now a new concept that could make smartphone cameras as good as the big budget cameras. Some companies like Apple and Samsung have already included two or three lenses in their phones to increase the depth of field, but there are other designs featuring six and even nine lenses which could push the picture quality up to 64 megapixels. These lenses and the processing power needed to use them are still quite expensive, but they could well be here in the future.
Folding Screens
When the candy bar shape replaced the flip phone, many thought that the old folding devices would fade away. However, there are now new folding phones being developed that include a large screen that folds in half without breaking. The concept has been around for a few years, and only Samsung has used it to any success with curved TV screens and phones. But, folding screens are still some time away at present, at least those that will be thin enough to fold like paper. With new technology and low cost PCB design tool, there has never been a better time to innovate.
These are only a few of the many new technologies that are on the horizon, all designed to make life easier and solve problems for the users. One such solution is charging over the air; this is the next step from wireless charging that has been seen in the latest phones. Although this tech is still a couple of years away, it would solve the constant issue of charging your phone. Smart glasses are also on the horizon, though further away than the other tech mentioned. With these advances, you will soon see your phones looking much different than ever before.
