Presently, mobile technology plays a significant part in our lives and society, whether wearables, smart home tech, or smartphones. But these technologies will be even better and more ingrained into our lives than ever before in the future.
Industry experts and futurologists posit that mobile technologies, especially smartphones, will be the remote control we dictate our lives. Meanwhile, other schools of thought believe that mobile technologies will run our lives.
Regardless of the differing opinions on what the future holds, one thing remains common: the growth of mobile technologies. It’s been ages since Apple introduced the first smartphone, and despite being a pretty big deal then, we have experienced even better smartphones that make the original one seem tame.
Mobile Technology at Present
We are currently enjoying the golden age of mobile technology. We’ve never had it this good before now, so much so that it’s affecting everything around us. Take business, for instance. Mobile technology has aided the shift from in-store sales to e-commerce, allowing people to buy and sell via apps and websites in minutes. And this technology isn’t just desktop-based. It’s on our mobile devices now.
And it’s so diverse in use and function that it’s wholly reinvented how businesses are run. For instance, the best means of getting in touch with target audiences is through mobile marketing via mobile apps, social media, and text. The market-leading platforms for anything from gaming to remote work to education to IGaming, systems and platforms are being optimized for mobile devices.
Take casinos, for instance. Some time ago, players needed to visit a physical location to try out games like poker, blackjack, slots, roulette, etcetera. But that’s not the case anymore. Even after casinos went digital and became accessible via desktops and PCs, they soon made the jump to mobile. Now, players can play live roulette online from anywhere. It gets better; the experience is comparable to an in-house casino. So what’s next? There is the potential to move to other platforms, like virtual reality, gaming consoles, augmented reality, etc.
Moving from dumbphones to smartphones was the most mind-boggling feat of the time. But the accomplishments we have achieved since then are akin to sorcery: 5G, foldable screens, waterproof technology, VR and AR, among others. The evolution of mobile technology continues to shape many aspects of life and society, including habits, lifestyle, countries, and the worldwide economy.
The Future of Mobile Technology
The current form of mobile technologies points to an even better future. For instance, we have developed foldable phones with bendable screens that fit snugly into our pockets and in-display cameras that sit behind the screen and disappear out of sight when not in use. Smartphones are becoming more capable of tasks that only computers could perform. Going a scale higher, we have flagship phones that pack some of the best hardware and software capabilities. The camera on most high-end smartphones these days are good enough for videography and photography.
So, while we can’t accurately predict the future, there’s no doubt it will be even better. 5G technology, for instance, changes the network connection game, producing even faster network speeds that morph smartphones into tools for work and learning.
Throw in the diversity of mobile phones tailored to fit users’ different needs and tastes, and we have a technology that knows and understands the assignment. It only makes sense; it’s just as widespread and ingrained in our lives.
And as the world leans towards eco-friendliness, mobile technologies are joining the movement, with smartphone brands doing their part to ensure the floating blue ball remains safe and habitable. For instance, Daisy, a robot designed by Apple, takes apart old and out-of-commission iPhones to effectively recycle materials.
What Can We Expect?
Even with regular updates for current-gen mobile technologies, future iterations will be way better in more ways than one. For instance, we can expect brighter, more capable screens, more innovative artificial intelligence on digital assistants and more advanced camera modules and features on par with SLRs.
These changes might not be small, but they are not inconsequential and could provoke substantial cultural differences. For example, consider Instagram, for instance. Instagram would never have been born if smartphone cameras had been great. Even if it was, it might not be the photo-centric app it is today. Another example is OLED screens, the new age of flexible, power-saving screens. We might never have stumbled on this gold mine if we hadn’t improved upon phone screens.
However, as exciting as the future might seem from here, it comes at the cost of less enthusiastic technological launches as we see today. But that doesn’t mean that mobile phones will be poor, less impactful, or lack the things that make them so great. Instead, they will be a more practical, familiar, and essential fabric of society and our lives in general.
