Imagine a world in which everyone looked like you. So when you woke up you met yourself at the breakfast table. At work everyone looked like you. Boring. Right? Now just look at our smartphones. The same type of screen with apps on it. Similar functionalities, design, display etc. If you don’t believe me, search for the most stylish or innovative smartphones and you will find that all those phones are not only similar looking but also have similar functions. If aliens landed it might take an Einstein in them to distinguish between the phones.
Mobile Phones: Retro YearsWhat a sharp contrast from the initial days when mobile phones came into the market. They looked stylish — distinctly different from each other. Remember the style statement the Moto Razr flip cover made, or the rock solid design of the Nokia 6600, or the mini-computer functionality of the Nokia Communicator and the absolutely stunning Sony Ericsson Cybershot with real flash.
Dare to be DifferentThere are a few smartphones that have dared to be different or are at least working on reinventing themselves.
The Dual Display Phone: Did you know that the smartphone display isn’t meant for long exposure to the eyes. According to medical studies the blue light emitted from the smartphone display is a potent suppressor of melatonin, the hormone responsible for the body’s circadian rhythm. The right display for long hours of reading is the epaper, Kindle type, display. If you are fond of reading and don’t want to carry your eBook reader, here is a smartphone that may be just right for you.
Yotaphone: Yotaphone has a dual display. OLED screen on one side and E-Ink panel on the other with a monotone display that’s comforting for your eyes to read as there’s no backlighting involved. The YotaPhone 2 priced around $120 has two screens, the front display measures 5.0-inches and has 1920 x 1080 resolution. The back display is 4.7-inches and has 960 x 540 resolution.
Foldable Display Phones: Just like you roll or fold paper, imagine being able to do that with your phone. If reports are to be believed then a foldable smartphone isn’t very far. Samsung has reportedly been working on the world’s first foldable display for many years now. The good news is that Samsung might be ready to launch its first foldable smartphone in 2017.
Zero Charge Battery: Probably the biggest hassle in a smartphone is charging the battery. Remember how Rolex Oyster Perpetual automatic watches used movement and our pulse to power the watch creating a revolution of sorts. Similarly, imagine you didn’t have to charge the battery using the conventional power source. Researchers at University of Washington are working on a technique called Ambient Backscatter. How it works is simple. The battery gets charged using wireless signals from other devices such as cellphone towers, TV signals and more.
Invention: While ‘what’s next’ is definitely on every smartphone manufacturer’s lips, may be it’s time their minds ‘thought differently’ rather than just being inspired by a half eaten apple.
Guest Author
Puneet Mehrotra is an author and columnist who loves inspiring people and writes on business and technolog
