Innovations are at its peak with newer devices transforming human lives and making life easier than ever. With unending competition in the market, companies are coming up with ideas that exceed the best idea we have of a smartphone. 2016 will bring you much more user-friendly and user-efficient phones that your expectations would increase even more. Here are some innovations you’ll get to see in the coming year.
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- Lucid experience
Cell phones are the major source of entertainment and the next big thing in the world of cell phones is 4k entertainment with high-end graphics. 4k screens for smartphones are not yet into the market, therefore, you’ll have to hook them up to 4k TVs to watch high-resolution videos and gaming. Looking into the future, smartphones will have 8k screens (4320X7680) which will be 16 times the resolution of your standard Full HD, 1080p display. HTC has led the lane with its 4MP Ultra-pixel cameras that are three times the surface area of 13MP cameras.
Innovations in the smart world of phone cameras include going back to fewer, larger pixels to improve the resolution and using MIcroelectromechanical(MEMS) technology to improve autofocus speed. Minor changes with major innovations will transform the smartphone experience.
Virtual and augmented reality is already a part of the smartphone experience and in 2016 it’s all set to head to the next level with Lenovo and Google’s Project Tango handset which will provide tones of information of the user’s location and the objects around him.
- Security
Security has sure been a major concern in smartphones. And with apps like Telegram which let you send encrypted messages, it will be a major issue which will be addressed this year. Smartphones launched this year will come with antivirus apps to terminate adware that collects the users’ contact data to launch phishing attacks. Iris scanner and fingerprint scanners will add to security measures in the coming cell phones.
- Efficiency
The charging speed depends on how many amperes the charger gives output. Present phones use 1 Amp chargers. In this year, smartphone manufacturers plan to give out 2 Amp chargers which will charge a phone in half the time. In addition to that, the adoption of USB Type-C will increase the speed of charging. It will also solve the problem of connecting phones to external storage devices and laptops. USB Type-C will become the new standard of USB with smartphones companies adopting it. Smartphones like Google Nexus, OnePlus and Gionee are already using USB Type-C.
- Smart Appearance
Smartphone screens are getting slimmer and larger with resolutions increasing beyond 1440 X 2560 pixels in top-edge handsets today. Till few years back, 1080 pixel full HD screens were used in TVs which is now a common feature in most of the phones today.
Another major innovation steps in this year with curved screens taking the place of flat screens. With the success of Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge and Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Plus, curve screens will become a common feature in smartphones. Among the many changes that you’ll see in smartphones, improved edge protection, quality material, glossy look and intricate finish are some developments that will give a whole new look to your phone.
If you’re thinking your phone is slim, you’d be surprised to see the phones that will launch this year. With the reduction in battery size, it will make it possible for smartphones to get even slimmer with batteries being more power-efficient. It is predicted that OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) screens will reach smartphones in two years. OLED is a flexible film which emits light in response to an electric current.
- Speed Acceleration
With the various innovations in the mobile sector, smartphones will come with faster processors and higher RAM. RAM will go up till 4GB giving a high-speed performance as compared to phones which have up to 3GB RAM. Times have changed with 3GB/4GB RAM where you don’t have to constantly clean the RAM, using cleaner apps and closing background apps to increase your phone’s efficiency. In the years to come, competition will bring in phones till 5/6 GB RAM.
Aren’t you already excited after reading about the various innovations that are in store for you this year? Well, it’s sure to bring a revolution in the smartphone industry with these adoptions and what’s more is that this will pave the way for ever more developments in this field.
Note: This post was originally published in May 2016 and has been completely revamped and updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.