Ask HN: What Will Replace Smartphones? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: What Will Replace Smartphones?

#21

Post by perilunar » Tue, Aug 18, 2020, 3:14 AM UTC

HereBeBeasties wrote: post #15

Asking in 2020 what will replace the smartphone feels like asking in 1950 what will replace the motor car. Augmented Reality contact lenses are the modern equivalent of 1950s predictions of nuclear-powered flying cars. I don't think smartphones will really be replaced for forty years or more. It sounds like a long time but it really isn't. We've not come that far since the original iPhone. And that itself wasn't that…

> Fundamentally one wants something that easily fits in a pocket

I don't think we really do. Constantly pulling your phone out of a pocket is unnecessary friction, and just as pocket watches gave way to wrist watches, I think phones will become something you wear, not carry.

Re: Ask HN: What Will Replace Smartphones?

#22

Post by wingerlang » Tue, Aug 18, 2020, 5:09 AM UTC

rawgabbit wrote: post #14

Smart watches. They will do everything that a smart phone can do today minus the display and camera. When you need a display or keyboard, you will walk up to a work station which is literally nothing more than a display and keyboard that connects to your watch via Bluetooth. The watches CPU and storage is the primary compute resource. The smart watch will also be used to authenticate you. Three factor authentication…

Camera and screen is literally the draw of a smartphone isn’t it?

Re: Ask HN: What Will Replace Smartphones?

#23

Post by akg_67 » Tue, Aug 18, 2020, 8:07 AM UTC

Smartphone may be replaced by a credit card size card containing SIM and other important data. You slide your card in any internet connected device it becomes your smartphone. Your headphone connects to the device through Bluetooth. Your music streams from cloud storage, you can access your pictures and data from cloud storage, your apps and game automatically show up on the device you are at. You can chat, use message apps, make phone calls etc.

In the long term, I don’t see a need for a smartphone.

Re: Ask HN: What Will Replace Smartphones?

#24

Post by Fiveh2751 » Tue, Aug 18, 2020, 1:50 PM UTC

If we get a pathway of connecting to the brain, you'll need no smartphone.

Re: Ask HN: What Will Replace Smartphones?

#25

Post by alok99 » Tue, Aug 18, 2020, 3:58 PM UTC

perilunar wrote: post #21

HereBeBeasties wrote: post #15

Asking in 2020 what will replace the smartphone feels like asking in 1950 what will replace the motor car. Augmented Reality contact lenses are the modern equivalent of 1950s predictions of nuclear-powered flying cars. I don't think smartphones will really be replaced for forty years or more. It sounds like a long time but it really isn't. We've not come that far since the original iPhone. And that itself wasn't that…

> Fundamentally one wants something that easily fits in a pocket I don't think we really do. Constantly pulling your phone out of a pocket is unnecessary friction, and just as pocket watches gave way to wrist watches, I think phones will become something you wear, not carry.

I think it will remain pocket-bound for a while until battery technology improves enough to make smaller or more flexible form factors viable. I think a neural connection is the next big jump, but we're not near that jump just yet. So I agree something wearable or otherwise more attached is the next step.

Having said that, I don't know what a wearable would look like. I don't think smart watches are the future - just a stepping stone in the wearable direction. It's too small to replace a smartphone, and doesn't have a flexible user experience. For example, I lose one hand's worth of interactivity with a smart watch, and I have to keep my arm bent to do so.

Where can you wear something that you can still easily interact with? I dunno. Maybe a James Bond shoe phone.

Re: Ask HN: What Will Replace Smartphones?

#26

Post by tawjob » Tue, Aug 18, 2020, 10:36 PM UTC

I can not say it will be this or that but I do know for sure you will know what it would be when Apple releases it.

Re: Ask HN: What Will Replace Smartphones?

#27

Post by 6DM » Wed, Aug 19, 2020, 2:45 AM UTC

Honestly, I think the next step is people put the phone down. It'll be there in the background like cars are today. However, many will try to just leave it at home/work whenever they can.

Re: Ask HN: What Will Replace Smartphones?

#28

Post by rawgabbit » Wed, Aug 19, 2020, 3:36 AM UTC

ramsj wrote: post #18

rawgabbit wrote: post #14

Smart watches. They will do everything that a smart phone can do today minus the display and camera. When you need a display or keyboard, you will walk up to a work station which is literally nothing more than a display and keyboard that connects to your watch via Bluetooth. The watches CPU and storage is the primary compute resource. The smart watch will also be used to authenticate you. Three factor authentication…

I have to respectfully disagree here. Smart watches are not really useful in most on-the-go situations. E.g., on a subway and wanting to read the news or play a game.

You may be right. I am envision your scenario will be fulfilled by tablets and iPads.

Re: Ask HN: What Will Replace Smartphones?

#29

Post by popeathlete » Wed, Aug 19, 2020, 1:12 PM UTC

tabtab wrote: post #13

mgn01 wrote: post #2

A chip inside your brain if the transistor gets small enough.

I agree, at least as far as direct brain-to-device communication, blue-tooth-like. You won't need a screen, you just "think" to the UI. I suspect this trend will start in some poorly regulated country and when they show promising results, research interest will spike and safer products will then come out.

Well, I barely started the day and I'm disturbed. Jesus christ, what world did I come to live in?