Discussion
I'm about to say something stupid so hold on...
I think mobile phones have hit a proper plateau. The advances we witnessed in the 10 years between 2006-2016 showed some pretty serious steps in hardware; 10nm process CPUs with masses of integration, flawless AMOLED displays, fingerprint scanners, iris scanners, facial recognition, perfect everyday cameras, all combined with software to use it properly. All of that is in combination with new materials and build processes to make the various little shiny slabs.
What happens now?
Are we really going to drop below a 10nm process? Is it going to be worth it to do so? Are we going to see anything to top the 'zero pixel' AMOLED displays we have now? Would there be any point in it?
Aside from a leap in battery technology, I have no idea where it's going to go next. I'm technically due to replace my phone next month but nothing really appeals at the moment and certainly nothing which would get me a decent gain on what I have at the moment.
I have no idea why I posted this.
I think mobile phones have hit a proper plateau. The advances we witnessed in the 10 years between 2006-2016 showed some pretty serious steps in hardware; 10nm process CPUs with masses of integration, flawless AMOLED displays, fingerprint scanners, iris scanners, facial recognition, perfect everyday cameras, all combined with software to use it properly. All of that is in combination with new materials and build processes to make the various little shiny slabs.
What happens now?
Are we really going to drop below a 10nm process? Is it going to be worth it to do so? Are we going to see anything to top the 'zero pixel' AMOLED displays we have now? Would there be any point in it?
Aside from a leap in battery technology, I have no idea where it's going to go next. I'm technically due to replace my phone next month but nothing really appeals at the moment and certainly nothing which would get me a decent gain on what I have at the moment.
I have no idea why I posted this.
I was thinking about this the other day.
My 5S does EVERYTHING I could ever wish for from a handheld device that fits into a pocket, I see no need to ever upgrade, so I don't see where the next big hype from phone companies can come from...I'm sure they will think of something, but I agree with your sentiments.
I've no idea why I posted this.
My 5S does EVERYTHING I could ever wish for from a handheld device that fits into a pocket, I see no need to ever upgrade, so I don't see where the next big hype from phone companies can come from...I'm sure they will think of something, but I agree with your sentiments.
I've no idea why I posted this.
I've been thinking exactly the same recently.
My 5S is perfect for 99% of the things I do and I can't really be bothered upgrading.
Maybe the manufacturers should consider battery life in the newest models as that would be more attractive to me than facial recognition or a built in tin opener!
My 5S is perfect for 99% of the things I do and I can't really be bothered upgrading.
Maybe the manufacturers should consider battery life in the newest models as that would be more attractive to me than facial recognition or a built in tin opener!
PugwasHDJ80 said:
Flexible and wearable tech i suspect is the next big thing
imagine a phone that you can "snap" around your wrist so it acts like a smartwatch, then when you want a phone you flatten it out and get a full sized phone
we aren't THAT far off!
I can imagine a phone that can snap around my wrist and it sounds ergonomically awful imagine a phone that you can "snap" around your wrist so it acts like a smartwatch, then when you want a phone you flatten it out and get a full sized phone
we aren't THAT far off!
Thinner, lighter, better battery, wrist mounted, whatever. It's more of the same.
The modern phone came about as we ditched the keyboard and embraced the touchscreen. It was effectively driven by changes in the way that we interface with technology. The phone won't evolve again until we do the same again - which means what?
True wearables are interesting, maybe a running shirt with GPS that measures your heartrate and uploads straight to Strava, but I'm struggling to think of a good general interface using wearables. Google glass or similar? Maybe. When they can build a display directly into a contact lens and track eye movements for inputs - that could be interesting. Until then - greater use of voice integration? I don't see that gaining too much traction as a) people value their privacy, and b) it's really annoying. Having said that I think we're only just starting to see what Alexa et al can do in the home so that's definitely going to become much more of a thing.
So yeah, peak phone is about it and I don't easily see where the next leap in human-computer interfacing is going to come from. But then doubtless there are people researching this hard right now and it will be exciting to see what Apple/Google/the next big startup comes up with.
The modern phone came about as we ditched the keyboard and embraced the touchscreen. It was effectively driven by changes in the way that we interface with technology. The phone won't evolve again until we do the same again - which means what?
True wearables are interesting, maybe a running shirt with GPS that measures your heartrate and uploads straight to Strava, but I'm struggling to think of a good general interface using wearables. Google glass or similar? Maybe. When they can build a display directly into a contact lens and track eye movements for inputs - that could be interesting. Until then - greater use of voice integration? I don't see that gaining too much traction as a) people value their privacy, and b) it's really annoying. Having said that I think we're only just starting to see what Alexa et al can do in the home so that's definitely going to become much more of a thing.
So yeah, peak phone is about it and I don't easily see where the next leap in human-computer interfacing is going to come from. But then doubtless there are people researching this hard right now and it will be exciting to see what Apple/Google/the next big startup comes up with.
I've got a Note 4 and have just reached the end of a 2 year EE contract.
I'd like a Note 8 or an S8 Plus but I simply cannot see the value in upping my monthly contract of £28 by another tenner (or twenty in the case of the Note 8).
Consequently I've stepped off the new phone bandwagon and gone onto Plusnet for a tenner a month. They use the EE network and I have noticed no difference at all in the quality of the provision.
I think I reached my own 'peak phone' when a new high end phone is more expensive than a good laptop.
I'd like a Note 8 or an S8 Plus but I simply cannot see the value in upping my monthly contract of £28 by another tenner (or twenty in the case of the Note 8).
Consequently I've stepped off the new phone bandwagon and gone onto Plusnet for a tenner a month. They use the EE network and I have noticed no difference at all in the quality of the provision.
I think I reached my own 'peak phone' when a new high end phone is more expensive than a good laptop.
BigMon said:
I've got a Note 4 and have just reached the end of a 2 year EE contract.
I'd like a Note 8 or an S8 Plus but I simply cannot see the value in upping my monthly contract of £28 by another tenner (or twenty in the case of the Note 8).
Consequently I've stepped off the new phone bandwagon and gone onto Plusnet for a tenner a month. They use the EE network and I have noticed no difference at all in the quality of the provision.
I think I reached my own 'peak phone' when a new high end phone is more expensive than a good laptop.
That's a very good point and one which echoes my own sentiments. The cost to change is too much for the little gain. It seems like the pricing of top tier devices has far out-paced their technological development.I'd like a Note 8 or an S8 Plus but I simply cannot see the value in upping my monthly contract of £28 by another tenner (or twenty in the case of the Note 8).
Consequently I've stepped off the new phone bandwagon and gone onto Plusnet for a tenner a month. They use the EE network and I have noticed no difference at all in the quality of the provision.
I think I reached my own 'peak phone' when a new high end phone is more expensive than a good laptop.
The device which is due an upgrade shortly is an S7 Edge. I don't particularly like the S8/S8+ due to the fingerprint reader being on the back. I really like the Note 8 but the price is too much for me to stomach, same as the iPhone 8 and X. Whilst I like the idea of standard Android on a Pixel 2, there's just something I can't quite put my finger on about why I don't like it. There's nothing from Sony, LG, HTC or Motorola which particularly appeals or certainly not enough to make me want to change.
Traditionally, I've always kept phones until they've stopped working and I suspect this may start becoming more common, even amongst the technofashionistas.
Rawwr said:
That's a very good point and one which echoes my own sentiments. The cost to change is too much for the little gain. It seems like the pricing of top tier devices has far out-paced their technological development.
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You've said it far more succinctly!.
I just cannot see, apart from the 'shiny shiny' factor, what a Note 8 would do for me that my Note 4 doesn't.
It would be newer and quicker (marginally) but not to the point where it's worth spending almost £900 on it.
Rawwr said:
The device which is due an upgrade shortly is an S7 Edge. I don't particularly like the S8/S8+ due to the fingerprint reader being on the back. I really like the Note 8 but the price is too much for me to stomach, same as the iPhone 8 and X. Whilst I like the idea of standard Android on a Pixel 2, there's just something I can't quite put my finger on about why I don't like it. There's nothing from Sony, LG, HTC or Motorola which particularly appeals or certainly not enough to make me want to change.
I've got the S7 Edge as well and am seeing no urgent need to change it. I might be tempted if the S9 comes with a fingerprint reader under the display but I'll probably sit this round out otherwise and I've upgraded frequently before now.chow pan toon said:
I've got the S7 Edge as well and am seeing no urgent need to change it. I might be tempted if the S9 comes with a fingerprint reader under the display but I'll probably sit this round out otherwise and I've upgraded frequently before now.
It'd take a lot more than that for me to change, I just don't know what it would be. Then again, I also use a Lumia 920, which is still going strong Getting screen resolution high enough so that Google Cardboard, Samsung Gear, etc can generate a decent quality image would be nice but might be a niche market. The amount of people I see watching films or TV shows on tiny phone screens, I'd have thought a fair proportion of them wouldn't mind having it on a 15' virtual screen instead.
Wearables are interesting but the only way you're going to be using one to browse a website is if you get in to glasses/contact lenses, as I don't think a foldable screen or even a projector would be as useable as a phone screen.
Battery life hasn't really improved in a few years, presumably as the improving battery technology is negated by phones keep getting more powerful processors and more power hungry screens to, it would be nice to see mid range phones with longer battery life.
Wearables are interesting but the only way you're going to be using one to browse a website is if you get in to glasses/contact lenses, as I don't think a foldable screen or even a projector would be as useable as a phone screen.
Battery life hasn't really improved in a few years, presumably as the improving battery technology is negated by phones keep getting more powerful processors and more power hungry screens to, it would be nice to see mid range phones with longer battery life.
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