The only genuine innovation I see coming with Smartphones would be

Well we've just had the buttonless phone with minimal bezel and that will probably continue until we either have virtual devices and/or double-sided foldable devices.

5G. That's gonna be the one. 5G phones with wide coverage 5G networks, especially in two or three years time when the 5G networks are comfortable enough to stop capping speeds and the content is there to take advantage of the speed. 5G isn't really a handset innovation other than the support for it - it is a network innovation. However, the possibilities of it will be what pushes innovation in handsets. 3G enabled us to genuinely use mobile devices for audio streaming, social networking, image sharing etc. While 3G could do it technically, we needed 4G to genuinely stream video, video call and push social media to the level we've got to now where I am having video meetings with my colleagues from 8 countries this morning on my phone with absolutely no break up etc.

4G allowed us to use our mobile devices on mobile networks in the same way as our desktops and laptops on fixed internet / WiFi. The speed of 4G (for example in the Netherlands) is now better than most fixed internet speeds. That was huge and pushed the development of phones - no point having 40 megapixel cameras if it takes 5 hrs to upload one photo over 3G! These days I can use my phone as a hotspot to watch Netflix in UHD on a hotel 60 inch TV screen in the middle of nowhere in Switzerland.

5G is going to push it to a new level. Only thing is that like 3G and 4G we can guess at some ways it might go but most innovations we won't have even thought of yet. It all gets drive by how the users' behaviours and expectations adapt.

Now I have no idea why I typed all that but half way through I thought I may as well finish it.

Posted By: Steve in Holland, Apr 5, 13:34:14