# Have smartphones become a mature technology? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 14, 2019, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-smartphones-become-a-mature-technology/831157 "2019-03-14T23:20:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2019, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-smartphones-become-a-mature-technology/831157/41 "2019-03-15T23:44:02Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > No. > > I predict the next big technology will be a small computer you carry as a piece of jewelry, that has multiple wireless interfaces (unlike smartphones which only have 2, the touchscreen and verbal interactions). > > \ > > I think that’ll replace smartphones in about ~10 years. I’m not even confident that whatever version of bluetooth we have 10 years from now will get my headphones to connect reliably. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2019, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-smartphones-become-a-mature-technology/831157/42 "2019-03-16T00:12:39Z")
There is also the antenna, the size of which is constrained by physics. See, for instance [the size of a 5G antenna](https://venturebeat.com/2018/10/22/qualcomm-cuts-5g-millimeter-wave-antenna-size-by-25-ahead-of-2019-debut/). 5G phones will have up to four of those to deal with signal loss, [because](https://www.qualcomm.com/news/onq/2018/07/31/they-said-it-couldnt-be-done-so-we-did-it-introducing-qtm052-mmwave-antenna) > [@](#): > > millimeter wave signals are extremely challenging to work with. They behave erratically, bouncing off of hard surfaces, including people. And they get blocked by any obstacle in their path. Even putting your hand in front of the antenna will block the signal. Given they are so challenging, mmWave technology requires an array of antennas — multiple elements working together to focus the energy of the signals into beams, which extend their range. ---
**Author:** ![Francis\_Vaughan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/francis_vaughan/32/3093_2.png) [@Francis\_Vaughan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francis_Vaughan)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2019, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-smartphones-become-a-mature-technology/831157/43 "2019-03-16T00:16:05Z")
> [@scr4](#): > > I don’t think a remote display device ever makes sense, because a display always needs a high bandwidth connection to the computer. Generally the trend is for the computer to be built into each display device, or wired to it. A smart watch is a stand-alone computer that is networked to a smartphone, not a remote display driven by the smartphone. Remote displays certainly work. I can cast my laptop or iPhone screen to my home theatre projector at 1080p resolution over WiFi and it works perfectly happily. Indeed I use it watch movies stored on my iPhone that way. 4k displays are harder, but not vastly so. There is compression involved in the stream, so there are some compromises. But for the needs of wearables, there is no intrinsic limitation. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2019, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-smartphones-become-a-mature-technology/831157/44 "2019-03-16T00:31:52Z")
I’ve an S4 mini. So I’m way behind the curve I suppose. I have no desire for a larger phone or larger screen. Don’t watch video on my phone. Never plan to. Very occasional look at the internet on the phone or want to. I can make phone calls (go figure) email, text and read books. Oh and I use it as an alarm and timer for cooking. The camera is fine. But I know I will have to pull the trigger and get a new one. The major thing holding me back is I do not want something bigger. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2019, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-smartphones-become-a-mature-technology/831157/45 "2019-03-16T01:03:39Z")
> [@iamthewalrus\_3](#): > > I’m not even confident that whatever version of bluetooth we have 10 years from now will get my headphones to connect reliably. Fair enough. My point fundamentally was that smartphones of the future will have a wide range of ways you can interact with them rather than just the built in touch screen and built in microphone we use now. ---
**Author:** ![Francis\_Vaughan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/francis_vaughan/32/3093_2.png) [@Francis\_Vaughan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francis_Vaughan)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2019, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-smartphones-become-a-mature-technology/831157/46 "2019-03-16T01:59:03Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > Fair enough. My point fundamentally was that smartphones of the future will have a wide range of ways you can interact with them rather than just the built in touch screen and built in microphone we use now. The thing about this is that there are only software additions needed to make existing phones talk to the new peripherals. Some interesting devices may benefit from significant processing grunt, but as a driver to obsolete current phones such new devices won’t likely drive the market. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2019, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-smartphones-become-a-mature-technology/831157/47 "2019-03-16T02:08:55Z")
> [@Francis\_Vaughan](#): > > We already have a two device system - a smart watch tethered to a phone. Also, Palm is back and selling [a pet phone for your phone](https://9to5google.com/2019/03/08/palm-phone-hands-on/). ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2019, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-smartphones-become-a-mature-technology/831157/48 "2019-03-16T12:55:23Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > This reminds me of something I recently read. Someone has come up with a way to use lasers to produce sound that only a single person can hear. It has to do with heating up water molecules in the air in the vicinity of the person’s ear. OK, this is still very early stage of the tech (so far the person just hears a buzzing) and it may not work out, but potentially it could replace ear buds. At a trade show I went to a looong time ago, one booth had a directional sound demo. If you stood on one spot you could hear music, move a foot or so away and nothing. (The sound was directed somewhat downward so you couldn’t really move closer or farther to test what happened with those.) It was quite eerie. So it’s been around a while but I don’t know if anyone is using stuff like this. It uses a flat panel of micro speakers. So there’s some size there. To have something like this on a phone would be impractical unless you’re willing to give up a good chunk of screen size. OTOH, since the system is dynamic, the phone camera could track you and direct the sound to wherever you were relative to the phone. (And to the person standing behind you! :)) ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2019, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-smartphones-become-a-mature-technology/831157/49 "2019-03-16T13:19:34Z")
> [@scr4](#): > > The battery may not be user-replaceable, but it just takes a trip to a repair shop to get the battery replaced. I just got it done to my 2-yr old Google Pixel Xl. (Which is another sign that smartphone is a mature technology - for the first time I decided I’d rather replace the battery than upgrade to the new model.) Lucky you. My phone wasn’t as popular as yours, and I couldn’t buy a new battery from third parties, nor would the manufacturer replace it. I would have been happy keeping my old phone but for the battery dying. ☹ > [@Francis\_Vaughan](#): > > Actually the dominant component is by far the battery… yup > [@enipla](#): > > I’ve an S4 mini. So I’m way behind the curve I suppose. > > I have no desire for a larger phone or larger screen. Don’t watch video on my phone. Never plan to. Very occasional look at the internet on the phone or want to. > > I can make phone calls (go figure) email, text and read books. Oh and I use it as an alarm and timer for cooking. The camera is fine. > > But I know I will have to pull the trigger and get a new one. The major thing holding me back is I do not want something bigger. I think if they improve the batteries enough, there will be more small phones on the market. Especially if they improve the battery and also develop a (foldable/rollable/stretchable) larger screen that can be unfurled when desired. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2019, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-smartphones-become-a-mature-technology/831157/50 "2019-03-16T13:44:58Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > > [@dtilque](#): > > > > This reminds me of something I recently read. Someone has come up with a way to use lasers to produce sound that only a single person can hear. It has to do with heating up water molecules in the air in the vicinity of the person’s ear. OK, this is still very early stage of the tech (so far the person just hears a buzzing) and it may not work out, but potentially it could replace ear buds. > > At a trade show I went to a looong time ago, one booth had a directional sound demo. If you stood on one spot you could hear music, move a foot or so away and nothing. (The sound was directed somewhat downward so you couldn’t really move closer or farther to test what happened with those.) > > It was quite eerie. So it’s been around a while but I don’t know if anyone is using stuff like this. > > It uses a flat panel of micro speakers. So there’s some size there. To have something like this on a phone would be impractical unless you’re willing to give up a good chunk of screen size. > > OTOH, since the system is dynamic, the phone camera could track you and direct the sound to wherever you were relative to the phone. (And to the person standing behind you! :)) One company that does this (directional audio) is [Brown Innovations](http://www.browninnovations.com/). They sold the sound dome thing to music retailers, so only the person standing beneath the dome could hear the music. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2019, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-smartphones-become-a-mature-technology/831157/51 "2019-03-16T15:11:50Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > I think if they improve the batteries enough, there will be more small phones on the market. Especially if they improve the battery and also develop a (foldable/rollable/stretchable) larger screen that can be unfurled when desired. Yep, this is sort of what I’m waiting for. Though I have no need for a bigger screen. The Apple iWatch sort of tried with the smaller size, but frankly, I think it’s ridiculous. Why wear another device on your wrist that is connected to your phone? Perhaps I misunderstand the tech. Sort of like when people where wearing Blue tooth hearing buds in their ears where ever they went so they could look like an android that talks to itself. Myself, I’m in GIS, so am no stranger to new technologies. But sometimes you have to just say. “Um… No.” ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2019, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-smartphones-become-a-mature-technology/831157/52 "2019-03-16T20:54:53Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > It was quite eerie. So it’s been around a while but I don’t know if anyone is using stuff like this. [You can buy it for yourself](https://www.soundlazer.com/product/sl-01-open-source-parametric-speaker/). As for adapting it to phones, I don’t know if the physics of it would allow it to scale properly, but [there will soon be phones](https://www.oled-info.com/lg-announces-upcoming-g8-smartphone-will-adopt-companys-crystal-sound-oled-tech) ([and televisions](https://www.tomsguide.com/us/lg-crystal-sound-8k-oled-tv,news-29035.html)) where the screen _is_ the speaker. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2019, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-smartphones-become-a-mature-technology/831157/53 "2019-03-16T21:00:34Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > It uses a flat panel of micro speakers. So there’s some size there. To have something like this on a phone would be impractical unless you’re willing to give up a good chunk of screen size. > > OTOH, since the system is dynamic, the phone camera could track you and direct the sound to wherever you were relative to the phone. (And to the person standing behind you! :)) The new technique doesn’t use any speakers, just a laser and a rotating mirror. [Here’s](http://optics.org/news/10/1/38) an article on it. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2019, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-smartphones-become-a-mature-technology/831157/54 "2019-03-16T21:35:01Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > The new technique doesn’t use any speakers, just a laser and a rotating mirror. [Here’s](http://optics.org/news/10/1/38) an article on it. I got that. But try adapting it to something like smart phone world. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2019, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-smartphones-become-a-mature-technology/831157/55 "2019-03-16T21:37:13Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > The new technique doesn’t use any speakers, just a laser and a rotating mirror. [Here’s](http://optics.org/news/10/1/38) an article on it. A hijack, if I may. Could this technology not be used ‘in reverse’ to eavesdrop on a unsuspecting target? (And, possibly even through, say, a window pane?) ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2019, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-smartphones-become-a-mature-technology/831157/56 "2019-03-16T21:56:43Z")
> [@KarlGauss](#): > > A hijack, if I may. Could this technology not be used ‘in reverse’ to eavesdrop on a unsuspecting target? (And, possibly even through, say, a window pane?) For a window pane, you’re probably better off with a [laser microphone](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laser_microphone). And for general remote listening, a [parabolic microphone](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parabolic_microphone) will do the trick. That said–yes, microphone arrays are a thing. In fact, the Amazon Echo devices (and probably similar devices) already use them for noise isolation–they can listen clearly to an individual speaker even when there are other noise sources in the room. Mine show me a little LED indicator in the direction I’m standing in. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-smartphones-become-a-mature-technology/831157.md?page=2)