Thursday 14 February 2019

Smartphone Technology Trends to Look for in 2019

        Source: omaghenterprise.co.uk

With the proliferation of mobile devices around the world, namely smartphones that come with digital assistants like Siri and Alexa that streamline our lives and make practically everything easier, it’s hard to imagine how mobile technology can improve even further than it has already. Well, whether we can believe it or not, it’s happening. And no, I’m not referring to displays that are getting smaller or larger, or headphone jacks that are disappearing in favor of wireless audio; I’m talking about actual smartphone technological innovations we’ll soon see, i.e. upcoming smartphone technology in 2019.

Before we begin, keep in mind that many of the tech trends we’re going to cover today are based in speculation and scattered reports with enough validity that they’re likely true. With that in mind, many big brands have already confirmed upcoming smartphones in 2019 and other tech upgrades they’re trying out. Let’s get started!

Smartphone Technology in 2019

As we place 2018 firmly behind us and move into 2019, it’s time to talk about a very hot topic many tech-enthusiasts cover every year: upcoming smartphone technology trends and their potential impact. So, will we finally see foldable phones that are truly foldable? What about 5G phones that run faster and have better coverage than anything we have today? Keep on reading to find out.

Multi-Camera Phones

While we saw an influx of dual-camera phones in 2018—phones with dual lense setups in which one took the pictures and the other captured the depth of field—to allow for camera features like portrait mode, 2019 seems prime for an expansion and the inclusion of camera options like wide-angle, telephoto, depth sensing and monochrome.

In fact, almost 42% of smartphones sold globally in July 2018 sported two or more rear camera sensors (27% increase in market penetration), a charge that was led by brands like OnePlus, Huawei and Apple. As for 2019 and beyond, we already have the Huawei P20 Pro, the world’s first triple lense camera, a patent by LG hinting at a smartphone with 16 lenses, and we even have a leaked photo of a Nokia smartphone with five rear camera lenses.

Source: androidauthority.com

5G-Enabled Phones

With Qualcomm introducing the Snapdragon 855 processor late last year, which will power most Android smartphones and allow them and others to connect to 5G networks that enable faster speeds and better coverage, it’s clear that 5G is soon to be mainstream. Keep in mind that it’ll take a while for this to happen—probably 2019 and 2020—so for now we’ll cover what’s expected in 2019:

● Apple: Nope, Apple doesn’t seem too keen on putting forth a 5G smartphone.

● Samsung: Samsung announced last year that they were working with South Korean telecommunication companies to release its first 5G phone, which will likely be part of the Galaxy S10 family.

● Google: Nope, Google doesn’t seem too keen on putting forth a 5G smartphone, BUT Verizon, who it’s been using as it’s exclusive carrier partner for Pixel phones, said it’s planning to roll out its 5G network this year.

● LG: In August of last year, LG confirmed that its first 5G phone will debut on Sprint in the first half of 2019, just as Sprint launches its 5G network.

● Huawei: We already know that Huawei’s first 5G smartphone is coming this year, likely before the end of June 2019, but it’s unlikely that it will be available in the US.

Foldable Phones

Will 2019 finally be the year of the foldable phone that’s not a flip phone, but an actual foldable phone? That’s what we’re here to find out. Starting with the concept of the foldable phone, this would entail a phone that can be opened up and folded at will, which would need dual displays with dual batteries. With that in mind, we already have some contenders who appear to be throwing their hats in the ring. For example, Samsung revealed the Galaxy X (or will it be Galaxy F?) with an “Infinity Flex Display at a developer conference, Motorola is apparently working on revamping the Razr as a foldable phone and was awarded a patent on a folding smartphone design that featured a heated central hinge that would “heal” imperfections in the OLED screen caused by bending, and LG appears to be debating whether to go the foldable route or take a detour and venture into optional second screens.

                                                                                             Source: digitaltrends.com

Final Thoughts

Out of all of the technological innovations we have, it’s sometimes hard to stay up-to-date with everything that’s coming out. That’s why today, we focused on something that most of us can relate to: mobile technology. Here’s what we covered:

● Multi-camera phones that allow for much more options when you want to snap a picture
● 5G-enabled phones that work much faster than any phone today, even in low-coverage areas
● Foldable phones that truly fold and unfold without screen imperfections

Enjoy what’s to come!