Hi class! I came across this article on Forbes and thought it would be interesting to share because it re-contextualizes the way we think about innovation and how it intersects with the smartphone industry. The author argues that the innovation of smartphones has reached its peak, hence, 'innovative' smartphones are not defined by the way they look or feel, rather, they're defined by their effects on other industries. We tend to talk about the ways smartphone devices change consumer technology, but this article extends that conversation by talking about the effects it has on payment structures, communication networks and content delivery models. For example, the rising popularity of augmented reality (with games like Pokemon Go), shows potential to increase business efficiency by communicating with customers and employees in an interactive, engaging and quicker way. Another example is the move towards 'wireless.' This directly affects public infrastructure by creating cities where wireless charging is built into public places. In addition, more efficient batteries means the rate at which data is transmitted is increased etc ...
This was an interesting article about the way media industries can directly affect innovation in the private and public sector.
Link to the article: http://www.forbes.com/sites/centurylink/2017/01/31/how-the-post-mobile-age-will-affect-your-business/#4c7b890b162e
Thanks for sharing this article, Bobo! It was a great read.
ReplyDeleteI found it very interesting how the author describes the state of the smartphone industry, as you reiterated, as reaching its peak. For example, with each new iPhone announcement I feel that the industry and consumers are waiting for the "next big thing," and then perhaps more resigned when the upcoming developments are not as monumental as they were in the early smartphone days. As such, the industry has re-focused instead to emphasize what these phones can do technologically.
I was very interested to read about the author's thoughts on smartphones in big business and in augmented reality (Pokemon Go). I would also propose the field of virtual reality (VR) as being a priority for the mobile industry.
In my job at ABC, VR has presented our News and Entertainment teams opportunities to partner with advertising clients in new and innovative ways, such as through a "fan-extra" experience, where fans could watch and participate as the plot of one of ABC's shows continued in a VR experience (http://fortune.com/2016/03/05/abc-and-lexus-launch-quantico-vr/).
While VR can be experienced on multiple devices (i.e. desktop), it seems to be very well suited for smartphones because of the personal, intimate, handheld connection between user and device.
I think it will be interesting to see how the industry will continue to change and innovate during this "Post-Mobile Age," and the increasing capabilities of smartphones.