What Comes After Smartphones: Is It Possible to Predict It?

The story begins in 1861 with the invention of the telephone. At that time, it was earth-shattering news that people could talk to others who were not in the same room. This innovation paved the way for the telephone of the 21st century: the smartphone. However, as quickly as it has evolved since it hit the mass market, the advancement of the smartphone seems to be stagnating in the recent years: Numerous voices claim that the last smartphone generations do not differ from each other as they used to. Is this the first sign that the smart companion has passed its zenith? And even more important: What comes after smartphones?

A world without smartphones seems unimaginable for most people. On average, we spend up to 4.8 hours a day with it. No wonder, because the smartphone has become a jack-of-all-trades in a very short time: taking photos, filming, writing e-mails, listening to music, checking the weather forecast and reading the news are all possible on a single device thanks to the smartphone. Thirty years ago, you would have needed at least a TV, a computer and a Walkman. But as with all these inventions, the smartphone is likely to be superseded by new technologies at some point. Preferably tomorrow, if Google, Apple, Samsung and others have their way.

A look at the tech giants shows that they are already preparing for a future with new technologies that could replace the smartphone. Whether it's programs that we control with our thoughts or the vision of a home in which we switch off and let machines think for us: Such plans almost make the smartphone look old. Will we still need our constant companion in such a future? The following three developments have the potential to replace the smartphone.

1. Internet of Things

The "Internet of Things" is a network of physical objects that are connected to the Internet and enable an overarching exchange of data. Sounds abstract but is already becoming more tangible under the term "Smart Home". Your coffee is prepared by the machine at 8:00 a.m. and the dishwasher automatically determines when to start so that plates and cutlery are clean in time for dinner.

The smart home thus creates an environment in which machines adapt to people: Numerous devices are networked with cameras, microphones and sensors and continuously forward the collected data to a central AI unit. There, data on our behavior is stored and handled in such a way that processes in the home are continuously personalized. If our needs are constantly responded to in our homes, smartphones could quickly become superfluous there.

Google Home, Siri and Alexa are just the beginning. In "smart cities", entire streets, buildings and vehicles could communicate with each other via an intelligent network to make our everyday lives considerably easier. This is not just a vision, from which we are still far away. Cities such as Singapore, Helsinki and Zurich are currently undergoing a transformation to position themselves as "smart cities" in the future. Whether this is through smart streetlamps that simultaneously collect environmental and traffic data and provide WiFi, or through the electrification of public transport. The urban infrastructure of the future is digital, networked and energy-efficient.

2. Augmented Reality

Unlike virtual reality (VR), in which you are immersed in a virtual world, augmented reality (AR) adds digital elements to reality that merge together to create a world. Pepsi demonstrated what this looks like in an advertising campaign. While commuters in London waited at a bus stop for their connection, they could watch through a "pane of glass" as a comet approached them and a giant robot destroyed entire skyscrapers. But it was all a digital show made possible by augmented reality: The asteroid and the robot were projected onto a screen with a camera on it filming the real street behind them. Thus, spectators experienced a virtual spectacle in a real scenery.

To make AR a personalized experience for all users in everyday life, tech giants like Microsoft, Apple and Meta are promoting the development of AR with corresponding gadgets. Microsoft literally brings the AR experience to eye level by aiming to optimize everyday life through holograms with their "HoloLens" glasses. Apple chooses a different path: According to their own statement, they run the largest AR platform in the world. A large part of Apple's devices support augmented reality. In addition, there are many AR applications like Pokémon Go and Snapchat, which are listed in the App Store. The smartphone would thus serve as a transitional solution to make augmented reality suitable for everyday use.

3. Brain Computer Interface

What was once predicted in sci-fi movies could now come true: With a so-called "Brain Computer Interface" (BCI), we could control everyday life with our thoughts using sensors on the back of our heads. The idea is to build a bridge between the brain and electronic devices. We could write emails without typing, place entire orders and design presentations without saying or typing a word.

However, it could still be a while before voice-controlled systems or smartphones can be replaced by brain computer interfaces. In contrast to developments such as the Internet of Things or augmented reality, big tech companies are still hardly offering any concrete innovations in the field of BCI.

Or: The Smartphone Lives On - And Gets Smarter

Last but not least, there is still the possibility that the smartphone will be further developed before it is replaced. Although progress on the smartphone seems to be stagnating, its history shows how far-reaching even small changes can be. Subtleties like the regular optimization of the smartphone camera were initially underestimated by many users. Today, we know that this is one of the reasons why audiovisual platforms like Instagram and Tiktok were able to become so popular. As revolutionary as features such as fingerprint unlocking or Face ID are, the example of the smartphone camera makes it clear that it is not only disruptive technologies that have the greatest impact on user behavior, but sometimes also small improvements.

This does not mean that upcoming developments on the smartphone will have less of an impact. Although the 5G network is currently still being expanded in Switzerland, Samsung is already looking into the development of 6G. According to a report from the company, the new mobile standard will be implemented by 2030. 6G is not only expected to be up to 50 times faster than its predecessor: Samsung's 6G vision is also associated with higher energy efficiency, the use of holograms, as well as other innovations.

In the future, "wireless charging" could also take on new forms. With "over-the-air" charging, charging stations that work with radio waves or infrared radiation could automatically charge the smartphone in the future. The smartphone of the future would no longer have to lie on a surface to be charged, as is the case today.

Looking Ahead, What Comes After Smartphones?

The Internet of Things and augmented reality in particular show how increasing digitalization could shape our everyday lives in the future. However, it seems like these innovations will make use of the smartphone. So, with the developments of the tech giants, the smartphone is likely to take on a complementary role in the future. Therefore, the smartphone might not be the last disruptive technology that tech companies like Apple, Samsung & Co. will bring us.

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