Where does this leave us? Possibly back
where we started. It has already reached the upper limit for screen sizes,
which means that tablets and phones will have to find new ways to differentiate
themselves. Notebooks are now taking cues from the older generation of mobile
phone so who is to say that phones won’t take a cue from the notebooks. There
are more than a few people who would love to own a sliding phone again (Ed: or
a clamshell for that matter!).
Notebooks
are now taking cues from the older generation of mobile phone so who is to say
that phones won’t take a cue from the notebooks
Notebooks on the other hand will have to do
a bit of soul searching. Do they really need to compete with tablets? One would
have to say that they do. However, this competition is seeing a convergence of
form. Both are beginning to look more and more like the other. Keyboards for
tablets are now extremely commonplace, effectively turning these machines into
Android powered Ultrabooks. They are so frequently available now that most
manufacturers bundle the two together anyway.
Windows 8 (Win8) and the integration of
touch into the Microsoft ecosystem has moved the next generation of notebooks
towards Windows powered tablets. The Microsoft Surface is a good example of
where we are going with Win powered notebooks.
The
Microsoft Surface is a good example of where we are going with Win powered
notebooks
It would be fascinating to note that Win8
RT, the cut down version of the new operating system, has not been as
attractive as first anticipated. Samsung recently announced that they would not
be bringing any sort of RT device into the US, citing poor demand for its
decision to consider such a venture.
Somehow, consumers are now seemingly very
much done with using their tablets as playthings. Something that the industry
must come to terms with. Productivity apps are still very popular within any of
the app stores. Do ignore the fact that games constantly have the highest
amount of downloads as those numbers obfuscate the fact that once you have your
word processor and spreadsheet editor, you really won’t go shopping around for
another one. Unlike mobile games, which are only able to hold ones attention
for a week at most and are usually downloaded on a whim.
Innovative convergence?
The answer to where this leaves us may lie
with the thought that, ideally, we want a single device to do everything. Watch
movies, buy plane tickets, surf the web, do homework, instant message, social
network, and maybe make the occasionally voice call.
Asus
new Padfone (aka Padfone II)
Perhaps there is one company that has found
the answer. Asus, and their oddly named Padfone. On one hand, phone-tablet (I
despise the term phablet!) combinations do exist but those are large and
unwieldy when one wishes to make a simple telephone call. They are also
difficult to wear on the body unless you dress specifically to carry these
things.
The Padfone on the other hand, uses the
concept of two components that operate as a separation mechanism which allows
one to have a phone when such a device is preferred. Admittedly, the original
version was an overly bulky brick of a device that failed to catch on. But this
is technology; someone has to fail first before the idea really takes off.
In this sense, Asus has been very lucky.
Instead of waiting for someone to steal their idea and improve on it, they
quickly redesigned the Padfone for another go. The new one looks much better
and removes a lot of what made its predecessor a dud. It does, however, fail to
address a couple of important issues.
We are not here to analyze the failings of
the product but rather applaud the effort in being able to foresee where the
industry is heading. They have tried to jump ahead of the game. Unfortunately,
consumers have yet to wrap their heads around the idea of what they really
want. If Asus new Padfone (aka Padfone II) Asus decides to go with the path of
Windows 8 on their device, we may then once again, see a game changer.
CES and Samsung
The Consumer Electronics Summit (CES) is
usually a decent place to get an idea of where the industry is heading. It is
the event where hype can be generated for the coming year in all things tech.
On occasion, the products do live up to what was promised. Those are very good
days to be a techie.
Between
Samsung and Asus, we might be closer to the true next generation of mobile
devices
2013 has promised us that flexible screen
devices will finally appear. The CES show fulfilled that promise, in a way,
from a very unlikely source: Samsung. Known as the company that Samsung YOUM
Keynote at CES 2013 has been accused of stealing ideas rather than innovating,
it was the only manufacturer to debut a flexible screen (for a mobile device).
This is perhaps the most suitable riposte against their detractors.
The Korean company took the time to show
off their new brand of truly flexible OLED screens. A concept video even showed
a phone that could fold open to become a tablet. Tagged as the Youm, it promises
a change from the usual phone, tablet, Ultrabook combination that people carry
around. Truly, it is convergence at its finest!
Between Samsung and Asus, we might be
closer to the true next generation of mobile devices. Albeit, one that will
take at least another two years to arrive.
All things Google
Outside the consumer technology circles,
there had been other attempts at revolutionizing the interaction between man
and machine. This boils down to taking another look at how devices are built.
Google has managed to drum up quite a bit of press (as usual) with their Google
Glass project, which is a futuristic look at a smartphone system built into a
head mounted device.
Google
Glass project is a futuristic look at a smartphone system built into a head mounted
device
This sort of thing isn’t new. People have
been trying to create it ever since we read about Scouters in Dragon Ball Z.
It’s a good idea. Leaving your hands free to do other things while you make
calls or surf the web. Ideally, this also means having an augmented reality
system to create a more interactive environment. One where street signs are
things of the past because your HUD is already telling you everything you need
to know about your surroundings. It would be a literal seamless blending of the
analogue and digital worlds.
There are, of course, many obstacles to
make this concept work. A new way of interfacing with the technology will need
to be created. Most assume that there will be sensors that detect the location
we are in and scan for the motion of our hands, to simulate touching, pressing
and swiping on a screen. The obligatory Minority Report reference would belong
here.
Naturally, the technology is still many
years away from being commercially viable, mostly, because Google has been selling
developer units of the Project Glass for $1,500. A price tag that is a little
too high for the average consumer.
Evolution forms
I asked several manufacturers for their
opinions about what the next form factor would be. Unfortunately, CES prevented
them from being able to comment in time. Perhaps there will be a proper follow
up with their opinions in the future. Despite this, the keynote speeches made
during the CES week did give us an idea of what everyone has in mind for the
coming year and possibly the year after that.
After all, it’s not like we will be seeing
radical change any time soon. Evolution takes time to figure out what works.
Those who become complacent will simply be left behind. Rushing innovation will
only be tampering with the natural order of things.
