Last week Mobile World Congress took place in Barcelona: an event all about mobile technology. These can be mobile connections, but it has traditionally also mainly been a smartphone event. Despite this, not many phones were announced. There seems to be a change anyway. Because what if we no longer use smartphones at all?
There has been a feeling for some time now that smartphones are no longer so exciting. Innovation is indeed taking place, including in the field of photography and with the different form factor of foldable devices. But to say that people are still surprised when they see that you have another phone? Not really: if she notices at all.
Smartphones
At the same time, we are also seeing more and more alternatives to the smartphone. Six months ago, the Humane Ai Pin was announced, a kind of brooch that projects information onto your hand. You can make calls and use apps with it. The Rabbit R1 was announced at CES, the major tech fair in January in Las Vegas. The device resembles a gaming handheld. It has a screen, but you only control it with your voice. And then MWC also added an Android phone without apps from Deutsche Telekom. There is one key word in all these inventions: AI. Artificial intelligence has to do the thinking, so that soon you will only have to ask questions.
There is also another movement that goes one step further: Neuralink. This company allows people to communicate with computers via an implanted chip. The technology from Elon Musk’s company is still a long way off, but it is now in a human being for the first time and he has already controlled a mouse with his brain. Although Neuralink is primarily intended for people who are paralyzed, Musk’s dream is to do things with Neuralink that go beyond that. Applications to control technology with our brain: without apps perhaps.
The future is… appless?
If the future really is app-free, we will still need some time to get used to it. We will probably get that too: we really haven’t gotten rid of the smartphone yet. But if anything has become clear in the past six months, it is that we should get used to that idea as soon as possible and perhaps practice using voice assistants a bit more ourselves. In this way we make ourselves increasingly future-proof. Moreover, you will probably be surprised how far you can go with your voice. Have fun!
Would you like to leave your smartphone behind? We are curious about your response. Leave it in the comments.
Also read:
- The surprise of Galaxy Unpacked 2024: Samsung Ring
