From those first mobile phones in the 90s until today, the world of mobile technology has not stopped evolving and surprising us with new ideas and solutions. In this article we are going to review some of the most anticipated innovations in mobile phones for next year. The trends and emerging technologies that will define the smartphone market in the short and medium term.
Our review basically focuses on four aspects: flexible and foldable screens, technological advances to extend the autonomy and useful life of batteries, new generations of cameras and connectivity possibilities.
Folding and Flexible Screens
Flexible and foldable screen technology is one of the most striking developments in recent years. A leap forward has allowed manufacturers to design devices with new shapes and functionality.
The basis of this technology is the use of OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode), which has the ability to emit its own light without the need for backlighting, which allows for the design of thinner and more flexible screens. Also key is the use of plastic polymers, flexible and durable, instead of classic glass.
The advantages of this type of screens are notable: they offer a larger screen area (compact devices that unfold to offer a larger screen) and many more design possibilities, such as having a device that combines the functionalities of a phone and a tablet. These are the main design lines that this technology allows:
- Mobile phones that fold inwards (Inward Folding), so the screen is protected when closed. Some good examples are the Samsung Galaxy Fold and Huawei Mate X2.
- Mobile phones that fold out (Outward Folding), in which the screen "envelops" the device, as happens with the Huawei Mate X.
- shell mobiles (clamshell), As the Samsung galaxy z flip or Motorola Razr.
These new designs are changing the way we interact with our devices. Although flexible and foldable screen technology is in constant evolution, there are still some challenges ahead to face, such as reducing production costs and improving the user experience. For example, eliminating (or at least minimizing) the inevitable crease of the screen when folded.
Long Lasting Batteries
Another of the great innovations of mobile phones in recent years is the spectacular development of Battery Technology. There is a lot we have seen so far, but the future looks quite promising: more autonomy, more efficiency and faster charging speed.
The first thing to highlight is the progress in terms of fast charge thanks to technologies such as, for example, those of Qualcomm Quick Charge or Huawei SuperCharge. They are also being sold now high power chargers (up to 120 W) that improve thermal management to avoid the danger of overheating during fast charging.
On the other hand, there are advances as interesting as that of the Reverse Wireless Charging (the ability of certain smartphones to charge other devices wirelessly) or remote charging, without the need for direct contact with the charging base.
But perhaps the most striking thing is the increasingly wide range of battery types available on the market:
- Lithium-Ion Batteries, increasingly smaller and lighter, but with greater capacity. Many of them use new materials such as graphene for the electrodes. This results in improved conductivity and charging capacity.
- Solid State Batteries, in which the liquid electrolyte is replaced by a solid one, thus reducing the risks of leaks and combustion, in addition to offering a longer life cycle.
- Graphene batteries, a material that improves conductivity and allows more energy to be stored in the same space.
- Lithium-Sulfur Batteries, lighter and with greater capacity than Lithium-Ion ones.
To all this we must add factors such as intelligent energy management or advances in power saving modes from almost all manufacturers. In short, aspects that improve the user experience, allowing longer use of the smartphone without the need to constantly recharge.
Camera improvements
advances in Mobile Photography It is one of the major innovations that have taken place in the mobile phone sector. And the trend continues. The cameras on our phones are currently powerful machines capable of capturing high-quality images and videos.
Sensors have increasingly higher resolution, surpassing the 100 Megapixel barrier (this is the case of the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, with 108 MP). On the other hand, we must highlight the advances in the quality of video recording. 4K and 8K qualities and new Image stabilization systems (OIS and EIS)As well as Cinematic Mode, introduced by Apple in the iPhone 13.
The next big leap in this field comes from the call computational photography. Here, Artificial Intelligence is going to play a key role: advanced HDR (High Dynamic Range), algorithms applied to Night Mode or scene recognition with AI, among other things.
5G Connectivity and Beyond
5G technology has transformed mobile networks with notable improvements in speed, capacity and latency. The implementation of these networks is very advanced in countries such as the United States, South Korea, China and Japan, as well as in numerous European countries (also Spain).
We talk about theoretical download speeds that can exceed 10 Gbp, almost ten times more than what 4G technology offers. Also with latency reduced to less than 1 ms. A great advantage to apply to online games and virtual and augmented reality applications.
Apart from this, 5G networks support a higher density of connected devices. With a greater capacity of bandwidth for better and more reliable data transmission at higher speeds. Good news for users looking to get the best mobile rates at affordable prices. As for the emerging applications that will take advantage of this technology, here is a small sample:
- Streaming and Multimedia: 4K/8K qualities without buffering, virtual and augmented reality in real time.
- Telemedicine: remote medical consultations with high-quality video, remote surgery, etc.
- Automation of industrial processes.
And what about 6G? Without a doubt, we must start talking about this new generation of mobile connectivity, since everything indicates that it will be a reality before the end of this decade. These networks (called to star in many innovations in the world of mobile phones) will be able to further reduce latency in connections and increase transmission speed. Its impact will be reflected in fields such as extended reality, artificial, automated and interconnected intelligence, and also in applications related to energy efficiency.