Smartphones are about to grow more intriguing, thanks to recent advancements in 5G and foldable glass — but they’re still in the works. The latest smartphone models are growing better, but the excitement surrounding them is fading due to a few technological advancements. Aside from a few features here and there, there are no big changes. Smartphones haven’t been particularly engaging or exciting in recent years. Maybe you’re experiencing it as well. For a brief time, upgrading to a newer, quicker, sleeker model is exciting. However, once you’ve loaded your apps and customised it to your liking, you’ll find that it’s essentially the same as your old smartphone. If you’re lacking in excitement, it’s because you’ve become accustomed to the smartphone as it is now — a slab of glass, metal, or plastic that, for lack of a better cliché, delivers the world at your fingertips. Things like improved cameras and super-smooth screens, as well as Face ID, can keep consumers interested for a long time.
Smartphones on the other hand, are about to become attractive again, thanks to two significant innovations: new, foldable designs and 5G software.
Foldable smartphones are off to a rough start, but they’ve got our attention
Indeed, foldable smartphones are off to a shaky start, as the few models we’ve seen so far aren’t particularly impressive. It’s difficult to recommend to anyone that they buy a foldable smartphone right now because they’re both delicate and pricey.
Their failures to impress today, though, should not overshadow their future potential. I wouldn’t be surprised if foldable cellphones become things that people “could” or “should” buy in the future. I’m optimistic that smartphone manufacturers will continue to develop foldable smartphone technology in order to reduce their fragility and cost, especially if it means more sales.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip foldable smartphone
Foldable designs transform the usual static smartphone slab into something more functional, whether they fold out to transform a regular smartphone into a tablet or fold in to become more compact when not in use. The latter is a reference to the good old flip phone, such as the original Motorola Razr, and it’s interesting that we’re looking back to move forward with smartphones.
In any case, foldable designs are one of the most significant advancements in smartphone design to date. Smartphones were basic rectangles for the first 13 years of their existence. They’re starting to take on different forms in order to provide additional capabilities.
Introduction to 5G
Smartphones are useless without a wireless data connection, such as 4G LTE, and every advancement that improves wireless service is extremely significant. If you use your smartphone to stream any form of video, including video conversations from applications like FaceTime or Google’s Duo, or scroll through hundreds of photographs on social media apps like Facebook and Instagram while connected to 4G LTE, realise that it’s only possible because we upgraded from 3G to 4G. We wouldn’t be able to do half of what we do on our cellphones today if it weren’t for the advancement of wireless standards, and who knows what we’ll be able to do with 5G. 5G has a lot of promise. 5G offers two significant advantages over 4G LTE: faster speeds and a more responsive experience with reduced lag. 5G has the ability to deliver new apps and capabilities that are currently unavailable on 4G.
With that said, 5G’s distribution has only just begun in the big scheme of things, and most consumers are unlikely to be dissatisfied if they buy a 5G smartphone like Samsung’s new Galaxy S20 merely to try it out. The faster version of 5G, known as “millimetre wave,” is only available in a few cities, and even then only in limited areas inside those cities. 5G coverage has a long way to go before it becomes the primary network to which we will connect.
Concluding, right now, it’s difficult to say what such increased speeds and responsiveness will mean for cell phones. However, a cursory review of previous wireless connectivity evolutions reveals the quantum leaps that come with new wireless standards.
