The world is once again in a frenzy smartphone state. News of the iPhone 7 launch this week has everyone waiting in high anticipation on what Apple has to offer. The tech giant of course has been claiming that the smartphone will be better and cooler than its predecessor, boasting some of the latest technologies in the market.
Rumour has it that the new iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus will have a larger and improved camera, plus a dual-camera system exclusive to the larger iPhone 7 Plus. There will be no headphone jack and the storage capacity ranges from 32GB to 256GB. There’s more but all will supposedly be revealed today in San Francisco.
I am also thrilled to see what Apple is revealing on the new iPhone 7, too.
Well not that long ago, another tech giant Samsung also launched its latest Samsung Galaxy Note 7 and reviewers have praised how cool this model was with its ergonomic curved screen, AMOLED display, improved S Pen stylus, underwater abilities, 12MP camera sensor, and more. That is until the recent news of the battery cell issue in the phone that allegedly causes the phone to overheat and explode. Samsung is now investigating the matter, suspended sales of the Galaxy Note 7 and officially recalling all the models.
Then there are the other brands like Huawei and Oppo which have gone from zero to quite the hero these days. Huawei P9 Leica Dual Camera for example has made quite an impression with a promise to revolutionise smartphone photography, to cater to the selfie crowd. The P9’s affordable pricing is another factor boost to budget conscious consumers who obviously want the best for less.
Over recent years, the smartphone’s technology breakthough has simply gone beyond anyone’s expectation. Who would have thought that there will one day be this cool feature — the iris scanner — that can unlock the phone’s screen with one’s eyes?
The market has also announced some new innovations to look out for such as mind-control smartphone manipulation, holographic display, infinite solar battery, true artificial intelligence, high-end gaming, flexible display and chassis, thermal imaging technology, 360 degree video and more.
George Lucas obviously didn’t realise back then how his holograms on Star Wars could have an influence on the smartphone industry of today.
Well, if this holographic display comes on board, imagine how cool it would be to be able to see our caller as holograms when connecting to them through our smartphones.
For those who are constantly busy, mind-control texting or jotting down notes or even calling someone you are thinking of, is going to be such a powerful technology. The feature will also be great with people who have certain disabilities.
Infinite solar battery means no more looking for places or power banks to charge your smartphones. They will charge themselves, most probably using solar light.
A smartphone that bends would see a new addition to the wearables market. This feature may not sound futuristic anymore as there is already, a first bendable smartphone named The Reflex, built by researchers at Queen’s University in Canada. Using LG curving screen, The Reflex runs on Android and is still in early prototype but is certainly not out of reach anymore.
Whatever or should I say whomever is creating these smartphone technologies, they are certainly going to rule the market in the future. It is not just the Western part of the world that is coming up with such technologies, but the East too is taking a proactive role, led by tech-savvy markets like China, South Korea and Japan.
China brand Huawei for example, has proven that it should be taken seriously as a contender when it comes to considering a smartphone brand, with some exciting innovations in its new models.
I believe that brand loyalty may not be strong as before in the near future because as it is these days, consumers are heavily focused on the latest technologies a smartphone can offer.
This should give the so-called dark horses, the opportunity to shine in the competitive marketplace. As players continue to focus on product innovation and delivering the best to win the hearts of consumers, the smartphone market will surely not lack excitement and the surprise elements.
Ahmad Kushairi is editor of BOTs, the weekly tech section in Life&Times. Trained in Maths, he has since traded his problem-solving skills with writing about how tech has helped to transform the world for the better