Dave MacDougall, Buisness Development Consultant at Think4 IT Solutions Ltd, looks at Smartphones
This Christmas, seemingly more than ever, a version of the smartphone will be on the top of many a wish-list and in the bottom of many a stocking.
Since smartphones made their breakthrough in 2008 they have been a must-have item for most device users.
Earlier this year worldwide sales of smartphones outstripped those of ‘feature phones’ for the first time.
Ninety per cent of smartphone sales were attributed to iPhone and Android and it’s Apple’s iPhone that has been flying off the shelves.
The launch of the 5C and 5S models set an Apple opening sales weekend record and waiting times for the product grew as Christmas approached.
Sleek and good-looking with the latest features, including fingerprint identity sensor, the latest iPhones seem to have everything.
That won’t, of course, prove to be the case with the constant enhancement in technology meaning there will be something even more advanced around the corner.
And our love affair with the smartphone, which started with the advent of the touch screen and multi-media functionality, will go onto a new level.
So how can smartphones become even smarter?
They already give us everything a small computer could – and the added ability of making a phone call!
Consumers will always crave an exciting new look and feel and with sizes of devices seeming to change with the fashions, the aesthetics will change.
More importantly, the big beasts, which include Nokia, Blackberry and Samsung, strive to improve screen quality and, most importantly, battery life – the major weakness in smartphone world.
But beyond that the improvements and enhancements are likely to come through the supporting technology.
The product itself can only change so much, which means the future is likely to centre on more varied usage through the development of apps and ancillary devices like wearable technology.
Phones and glasses could soon be linked to the smartphone, while ever-more sophisticated apps will add even more to versatility to the handset.
Google Now is a classic example as it channels increasing amounts of information into your smartphone – often before you have even asked. Now that’s smart.
