Tenth lecture
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The evolution of the shape
To my mind, here was the evolution :
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They were big at first because of technical issues. To fit all the components inside, as simple they may seem today, that much space was needed. Moreover, first cellphones were (already) wealth indicator. Many people wanted to show they had one when they did.
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Then they started to get smaller as it was possible. The purpose was to gain in usability. No-one really wanted to transport 2 kg in his bag. We can follow with those devices the minimisation of components though time.
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Then arrived smartphones, they were most likely small because of technical issues as well, and not to chock in front of the size of other cellphones. Moreover, I think for those reasons, added to financial issues (people were not ready to spend 1000 €), Apple sized its first iphone pretty small. Then, competitors made the same.
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Finally, those last 10 years, they grew bigger. I think the increasing utilisation of medias like videos or game are important. The immersion was better thanks to bigger screen. At the time : bigger screen was equal to bigger phone. They then try to increase the % of the front filled with the screen to better this. It also enabled companies to increase the price of their phones and the money they make. I do think some people don’t want big phones if you give them the choice, but seelers and tech company make their possible to push them to buy bigger ones.
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What about the future ?
To my mind, future of shapes are … different shapes in one ! I see two solutions to this :
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Folding smartphone
The samsung Galaxy Z Fold is the main example of this fantasy to have the bigger screen possible for some application without holding all the time an 11" tablet. A folding smartphone allows at least two configurations according to what your are doing. Of course, the current main issue is the fragility of such devices, but it is nothing we cannot handle. However, I really do not think it will become completely mainstream. Indeed, for instance, I prefer a smaller and lighter phone than 2 phones in one, as convenient could it be. I do not think I am the only one. However, for a rich customer base it can be really useful and many new devices like this shall appear in the next years.
As always, look in SF to see what we want, I must confess I could buy this Westworld’s one just for the style :
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The flexible / increasing one
Why holding both a smartwatch and a phone ? The best would be a flexible phone you carry easily and that can grow big or small according to the space you have and your utilisation. This would be great. Of course, we are far from it. However, work and hologram and movement recognition could help for such projects. No-one says that phone have to stay a 5 inches square in a hand.
This tablet taken from the movie Ready Player One seems a perfect example to me :
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No phone at all ?
Actually, we are in a VR and AR class. We now understand the possibilities of such technique. Why wouldn’t we use glasses to generate on screen on any surface ? More than this, one day, why not implement it on a lens ! Or directly in the brain ? It is always hard to imagine such a different future than our present, but I do think all those lines I wrote about the future are useful and far from the truth comparing what will appear in the next 30 years.