When the first ever iPhone arrived over a decade ago, it heralded a huge change to the way we engage with the world around us. No longer were we tethered next to a power socket, confined to using the internet at home. We had access to all the knowledge in human history… all thanks to a simple gadget that we could fit in our pockets.
Smartphones have undoubtedly come a long way since that first iPhone, becoming ever more essential to the way that we live our lives. While this has been hugely useful in some regards, there are still issues with the entire existence of smartphones that are going to need to be eradicated. Some of these changes will come on an infrastructure level; others will need to come from manufacturers themselves. No matter which area of the industry delivers the changes as listed below, we can all agree that these are necessary steps that smartphone tech needs to take…
- Better Battery Life
The article Why Is Smartphone Battery Life Still So Bad? provides a good primer on why smartphone battery life is so notoriously terrible, but little is being done to address these concerns. The iPhone X is said to have a better battery life than its peers, but we’re still a long way from the two-day-heavy-use charge of the feature phones of old.
- Improved Reception, Especially In Rural Areas
One of the most irritating aspects of cellphone coverage is how it varies, not only between locations but even between networks. The article Project Fi Review: Is It Worth the Switch? covers a potential solution to the network problem, with one carrier attempting to group together a variety of networks into a bundle. This might be a viable solution, so it’s worth doing your research if Project Fi might be particularly beneficial to you.
There is no such innovation in place that is designed to improve coverage in rural areas, however. There needs to be huge infrastructure investment, or smartphones will continue to be playthings of city and suburban dwellers while offering little to those living in the sticks.
- Fragility
Smartphones cost a lot of money; the new iPhone X costs more than most of us paid for our laptops. Most of us are content to pay the price for innovative smartphone tech, but we’re not happy when we see our investment shattered because it fell off our work desk. Smartphones are still far too fragile; future generations need to be more robust, because — simply — humans are clumsy. Yes, insurance can cover some of the damage, but you’ll still have to pay a deductible. It would be better for consumers if the phones were just more sturdy to begin with.
- Call Quality Comparable With Landlines
There is no denying that smartphones are still behind landlines when it comes to clarity of calls. This is an area that could definitely do with improvement and development in the future.
If these issues ever are resolved, then our reliance on smartphones will be all the more justifiable. What other functions or fixes are you hoping future smartphones will incorporate?