batteries could sit on the flat parts of the wrist (top/bottom). the real issue is the softness of flexible displays that wouldn’t have a clamshell protecting them from exposure.
That’s glasses. Apple’s on the front line of that though. They’re not in a portable form yet, but Apple’s is the closest to viable AR (or “spatial computing”, which is messaging I love), even if it’s still too big.
Maybe, it’s a while away yet though if going to be viable. I think a lot more miniaturisation is needed before AR/VR is going to win wide public appeal.
I heard about a product called Humane AI Pin recently. It’s an AI assistant device that attaches to a shirt like a pin badge, and interacts with the user though a combination of voice and a laser projector. It’s designed by two ex Apple people as it happens. I’m not entirely convinced by the concept itself but it’s a sign there are other avenues to explore.
One hurdle both of these have to overcome is the matter of always on, public facing cameras. It’s not just the technology, there are cultural challenges that will shape the post smartphone era to consider as well.
I think vision pro is the first viable AR at all, and I want it bad.
It will definitely be a while before you can actually do glasses, but I don’t really see there being a lot in the mean time.
I wish the cameras were something that would cause cultural opposition, but I don’t see it. What portion of the planet (or US/Europe, at least) already broadcasts everything they do on purpose (before the 500 extra trackers on every web site and spyware apps on their phone)? It’s a lot. People should care about privacy, but the second it’s inconvenient they stop caring.
And touchscreen keyboards (and their haptics) got significantly better, too.
Most of those cool designs were attempts at either maximizing the screen, giving a qwerty keyboard, or both. There were a few odd ones like the ones with the rotary dials, the n-gage, etc. But now we’ve got a form-factor that gives a real good keyboard and a real large screen.
Phones are completely boring now, colours should not be newsworthy but they always get a mention because everything else moves at snail’s pace.
At least Jobs had vision to push innovation.
They’re “boring” because they’re at their limit. The form factor can do what it can do.
Foldables will eventually enhance the experience, but the materials that are available don’t do the job. Until then there’s only iteration.
Foldables are never going to take off.
What we really need is rollables. Give me a scroll type phone please.
Snap-band phone plz
A slap bracelet smartwatch sounds interesting.
It would probably need a breakthrough in flexible batteries as well as better displays though.
batteries could sit on the flat parts of the wrist (top/bottom). the real issue is the softness of flexible displays that wouldn’t have a clamshell protecting them from exposure.
That’s genuinely exactly what I want
That’s a lot less viable than a foldable is. It’s absolutely an improvement in theory, but that doesn’t mean we can do it any time soon.
Give me the Global from Earth Final Conflict.
Or until the device category itself is displaced. It’s easy to forget what a sea change the touch screen smartphone model created by the iPhone was.
Somebody at some point is going to have another “iPhone moment” which shifts us all again.
That’s glasses. Apple’s on the front line of that though. They’re not in a portable form yet, but Apple’s is the closest to viable AR (or “spatial computing”, which is messaging I love), even if it’s still too big.
Maybe, it’s a while away yet though if going to be viable. I think a lot more miniaturisation is needed before AR/VR is going to win wide public appeal.
I heard about a product called Humane AI Pin recently. It’s an AI assistant device that attaches to a shirt like a pin badge, and interacts with the user though a combination of voice and a laser projector. It’s designed by two ex Apple people as it happens. I’m not entirely convinced by the concept itself but it’s a sign there are other avenues to explore.
One hurdle both of these have to overcome is the matter of always on, public facing cameras. It’s not just the technology, there are cultural challenges that will shape the post smartphone era to consider as well.
I think vision pro is the first viable AR at all, and I want it bad.
It will definitely be a while before you can actually do glasses, but I don’t really see there being a lot in the mean time.
I wish the cameras were something that would cause cultural opposition, but I don’t see it. What portion of the planet (or US/Europe, at least) already broadcasts everything they do on purpose (before the 500 extra trackers on every web site and spyware apps on their phone)? It’s a lot. People should care about privacy, but the second it’s inconvenient they stop caring.
I miss how innovative phones in the 00s used to be. They were seriously trying out every style and form factor possible, now they’re all a slab.
There’s a reason why none of those crazy styles stuck around.
They all sucked pretty hard or were too niche to become popular enough for economy of scale to bring the price down.
And touchscreen keyboards (and their haptics) got significantly better, too.
Most of those cool designs were attempts at either maximizing the screen, giving a qwerty keyboard, or both. There were a few odd ones like the ones with the rotary dials, the n-gage, etc. But now we’ve got a form-factor that gives a real good keyboard and a real large screen.
Until I can buy a foldable with a more robust screen (eg one that can’t be permanently damaged by fingernails), I’ll stick to traditional phones.