Apple’s smartphone celebrates 15 Experts say that technologies like AI and lidar are the future for Apple’s smartphone. Lucy Edwards, a blind journalist/broadcaster based in the UK, was Lucy Edwards. During the pandemic, it was difficult for her to remain separate from the public. This works with the iPhone 12 Pro, as well as the iPhone 13 Pro’s lidar, to see if anyone is nearby.
Edwards stated she was going to have to adapt, but she was happy to be able again to control her own life in a BBC documentary documenting her experience.
Lidar (light detection and range) is an example of the technology evolution that has occurred in the iPhone’s 15-year history.
The iPhone was a catalyst for new technologies within, like digital assistant Siri or mobile payment. Analysts that have studied the trends and Apple’s strategy believe so.
There will be small improvements over time, like bigger displays and better quality cameras.
Runar Bjorhovde, an analyst at Canalys. “The next challenge to the smartphone will not be finding what it connects next,” Runar Bjorhovde said.
iPhone at the center of everything
There has been a lot of speculation about what the future holds for smartphones.
Apple is not the only exception. Bloomberg reports that Apple might launch a mixed-reality headset next year that can support both virtual realities and augmented reality technologies. It could also make smart sunglasses that are AR-powered later in the decade.
What does it all mean for the iPhone? Apple’s headset is a standalone device that can run apps and services, but they are likely to be derived directly from the iPhone.
Analysts predict that the phone will continue to be the focus of attention, regardless if it’s a smart headphone, an Apple Watch, AirPods as well as a HomeKit-enabled appliance.
Gene Munster (Managing Partner at Loup Ventures a tech investment company and long-time Apple analyst) stated that the “phone will be an anchor”.
The iPhone isn’t just a new technology gadget. Apple is slowly making the iPhone a wallet replacement.
Apple has made significant progress in the area of mobile payments over the last year.
“It’s obvious that there’s lots of momentum within the financial services Apple. It’s likely that we will see more advances there,” stated Nick Maynard from Juniper Research, head research.
Advanced AI and lidar can improve spatial awareness.
It is much easier to predict the direction of Apple’s iPhone than it is to predict the specific changes.
Apple’s push into augmented realities will make lidar an integral part of its future. The lidar was introduced to the iPhone 12 Pro in 2020. This was done to enhance AR apps’ performance, enable new camera tricks, and facilitate accessibility features like People Identification. The technology measures distance by measuring how much light takes to reflect off an object and bounce back.
Munster claimed that the iPhone’s existing lidar sensors are not advanced enough to allow Apple’s Augmented Reality ambitions.
Munster said that “specifically” what is needed to happen is that reality must be mapped more precisely. His firm studies topics such as augmented reality and autonomous cars, as well as virtual realities. “
Lidar increases the iPhone’s depth sensor capabilities. However, it is up to the processor to interpret the data. Apple is using Artificial Intelligence, a Silicon Valley favorite buzzword, to provide more context for its iPhone.
Take a look at the Apple Watch once more to see how this approach works. Apple’s smartwatch uses AI with data from its sensors. This allows it to perform tasks like tracking your sleeping patterns, washing your hands, and even recognizing your location.
Hanish Bethia is a Senior Analyst at Counterpoint Research. He gave an example of how AI innovations could come to fruition in future iPhones.
Bhatia is imagining a hypothetical situation. This scenario does not reflect Apple’s actual plans. super-wideband and lidar, which have made it possible to imagine a similar scenario.
The future of charging tech and displays could undergo a major change
It is unclear whether Apple will make a foldable iPhone. Google is believed to be working on a flexible Pixel. The International Data Corporation reports that the number of smartphones with foldable capabilities has increased by 264.3% over 2020.
Experts Maynard, Munster, and others are skeptical that Apple will take a similar approach.
Munster claims that making a foldable screen from glass is no easy task. CNET reported that this glass is mixed with “a special material in order to achieve a consistent high hardness.”
Munster stated that “The missing part from my perspective [Apple’s] actual way of doing things is the missing piece.” “
The iPhone’s charging experience may need to be upgraded. Maynard believes that US senators, as well as European Union pressure, could lead to a switch to USB C.
Maynard stated that “I suspect that any vendor would launch a completely unportable system.” He mentioned Apple’s 2016 decision that the iPhone’s headset connector be removed.
Apple has been very active with wireless charging. This supports the argument that an iPhone should be portless. Apple’s laptops can now charge iPhones, Apple Watches, iPads, and iPads using this Smart Connector Pro.
Maynard said that the “number of systems that need to actually have a Cable” is decreasing.
Analysts predict routine camera upgrades in near future. Munster believes there are improvements in iPhone’s front-facing lenses. Bhatia believes that Apple will continue using display size and quality as a way to differentiate between its regular iPhones and Pro iPhones.
Without Apple, it is impossible to predict the iPhone’s fate. Using current iPhone features like the lidar-powered accessibility tools Apple provides to Edwards, we could get a glimpse into the future.
Bjorhovde said that “everything they’ve seen in the last few years is indicative” of what’s ahead. “Because they’re setting themselves up for the integration of the iPhone into the systems that they desire in the future.
