What the future holds for the smartphone

A smartphone can already pinpoint your location within feet of where you stand. Siri can help you understand the meaning of Einstein’s theory of relativity. You can shoot, edit, and promote a feature film all without leaving your couch — granted, it won’t be the most epic movie of all time.

There isn’t much your smartphone can’t do these days. So what comes next for an industry that is recognized as a leader in technological ingenuity? Here are a few cutting edge concepts that smartphone fanatics will certainly appreciate:

Size Does Matter

We have all seen smartphones go from really small to really large and back to small with the introduction of the Apple Watch. Now that developers and manufacturers have mastered the art of packing premium technology into a compact device for those on the go, you’ll likely see them hone this ability with the introduction of a flexible, or foldable, smartphone. Much like a Transformer, this wave of the future could offer media lovers a wearable movie projector disguised as a pocket-sized phone. With a small screen for everyday use and an option to play your favorite movie without squinting, we may soon be able to have our cake and eat it too.

The Hub of Your Home

A lucky few already enjoy the luxuries of an automated lifestyle, complete with voice-command lighting, remote-controlled appliances, and sometimes even self-driving cars. The smartphone lies at the center of all this excitement, acting as a command center for many of these actions. Competition is fierce, with companies like Apple, Google, and LG all vying for a piece of the pie, and it’s only a matter of time before they become accessible to the average Joe. You can already catch a glimpse of the new frontier, walking through your nearby home improvement store.

Smartphone or Smarthuman?

You may feel like you’ve just been cast in a sci-fi film from the 1980s, but here’s the thing — Artificial intelligence (AI) is real, and it’s coming to a living room near you. While they may not look like humans, smartphones are quickly learning how to behave like one. Right now, we rely on technology as a supportive tool to help us carry out specific actions, but introducing artificial intelligence will soon turn them into a partner in crime, capable of decision making and thoughtful engagement. This technology is still in its infancy, which means there is much to learn and explore before we fully understand how AI will impact the world of smartphones, but the possibilities appear to be endless.

Virtual Reality on Steroids

The concept of becoming an active participant in a digital world has been around since the 1950s, but until now it hasn’t significantly impacted the smartphone. Virtual reality is a billion-dollar industry, and developers are beginning to look at how it could function as a fun and creative tool for smartphone consumers — an early example being the Windows 10 smartphone. Three-dimensional and holographic viewing could transform how we interact with our smartphones and with other people. Plenty of big-name companies are already investing heavily in this technology, so expect to see, hear, and touch a whole lot more in the years ahead.

Getting Lost Is Not an Option

You find yourself smack in the middle of Paris, you don’t speak a lick of French, and if you don’t find some decent food soon, you’re convinced you’ll waste away. Pulling out your smartphone, you point it at the nearest landmark, a walking bridge covered with tourists, and you click the button. Suddenly you’re bombarded with names of restaurants (in English) as well as reviews to help you find the perfect outdoor dining experience. Augmented Reality, as this is called, is guaranteed to make your reality better. Unfortunately, this recognition software is limited by our own ability to standardize visual points of reference, but it remains on our list as something to get excited about.

The future can be unpredictable, but we can predict an exciting journey ahead. It may seem like smartphone innovation has stalled, with many manufacturers focused on enhancing old features rather than introducing new ones. The truth is, good things take time. We’re confident that patience will reward us in the years ahead.