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Wednesday, January 1, 2020

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Technology - Google News


What could your future smartphone look like in 2030? - TechRadar

Posted: 01 Jan 2020 05:00 AM PST

It's the end of the decade, and you're seeing plenty of retrospectives rounding up the last ten years of smartphones, and tech in general – but what about the future, and the tech advances it might bring? How could smartphones change in the next ten years?

We've looked at a few trends of the 2010s, and in particular 2019, and guessed at where these trends could go by the year 2030. We've looked at everything from foldable phones to USB ports and 6G.

It's worth pointing out that this speculation could end up being totally, totally off, as guessing tends to be, so come 2030 the smartphone industry could be totally different to how we suggest here.

Foldable phones in the future

The foldable Samsung Galaxy Fold

The foldable Samsung Galaxy Fold (Image credit: TechRadar)

Foldable phones really entered the public eye in 2019, with multiple devices like the Samsung Galaxy Fold and Motorola Razr 2019 launched (although the latter wasn't available to buy during the year), and they're only going to get more popular as more devices are released.

So, by 2029, could we all own foldable phones? Well, that depends on how phone companies navigate the next few years. At the moment, foldable phones are largely considered interesting gimmicks, but ones that most people (other than tech fans) wouldn't consider buying as their next phone.

This is because of how pricey they are, and also because software hasn't been developed that really makes the most of the form factor.

So if the next few years brings foldable phones that are affordable and, more importantly, vital for certain functions, people will leap on board. Ten years is a long time, and it's highly likely that foldable phones will become affordable and useful pretty soon, but that depends on how willing people are to ditch the tried and trusted form factor of 'normal' phones.

The 5G LG V50 ThinQ

The 5G LG V50 ThinQ (Image credit: LG)

5G is already out and about in several countries, although at the close of 2019 it still remains to be seen how long it will take for people to get on board with the tech. Its added speed doesn't mean much for people in high-speed areas, where 4G is already faster than most people need, and no apps have been launched that really make the most of the high-speed connection.

But in the coming years, companies will launch more 5G phones and fewer 4G phones, following the pattern of every new generation of connectivity, to the point where it's 'normal' to buy a 5G phone, just as you'd buy a 4G phone now. 

That's less because people need a high-speed phone, and more just because most of the devices on shelves will be 5G, with few (or no) 4G options

Towards the end of the decade, we could even see mentions of 6G (Donald Trump has already been demanding it), but we'll have to see how much people take to 5G, and if we really need even faster connections, before knowing for sure.

The future of front-facing cameras

The Samsung Galaxy A80 with a pop-up array 

The Samsung Galaxy A80 with a pop-up array  (Image credit: Future)

One of biggest differentiating features between different smartphones nowadays is the front-facing camera – does your phone have a big notch like an iPhone, a teardrop notch like plenty of phones use, a punch-hole cut-out like many Samsung phones, a pop-up like several companies have embraced, or something else entirely?

Well, it's possible that future phones will have none of the above – the front-facing cameras could actually be under the display. Oppo has shown off this tech already, and it's likely other companies are working on it too. This method removes the front snapper from view, so it won't take up screen space but also won't take up lots of internal space either (like pop-ups do).

So what about the camera itself? Towards the end of 2019, we've seen a few smartphones use two front-facers, one to take a picture and a secondary snapper for depth sensing, for more accurate background blur.

In the next few years, and especially into 2030, we'd expect this trend to get more established – selfies are one of the main types of picture you'll take on your phone after all. Phones could even introduce an ultra-wide front-facing camera for group selfies, with a depth sensor or software that can create background blur for a whole group.

Goodbye ports

An Oppo prototype with no ports

An Oppo prototype with no ports (Image credit: Future)

Many phones are dropping the 3.5mm headphone jack already, and those things will be ancient history by 2030 – it would be a surprise if many phones even in 2020 kept the port. As more users flock towards wireless headphones over wired ones, the amount of phone users who need to physically plug their headphones into their smartphone will reduce, and in ten years, after years of advances in Bluetooth technology, we'd be surprised if many people use wired headphones at all.

More uncertain is the presence of a USB port to plug your phone into a computer or charger. We've already seen a few prototype phones without this port, as handsets can rely on wireless charging to power up and Wi-Fi, mobile data or NFC options to send information and files to a computer.

It's likely as wireless chargers get more popular and, more importantly, faster at powering up your device, people will rely less on physical wires, making a port more and more redundant. In that way, it echoes the use of wireless headphones, and in 2030 portless smartphones could be the new normal.

More rear cameras?

The Nokia 9 PureView with five rear cameras

The Nokia 9 PureView with five rear cameras (Image credit: Future)

While you may think the future will bring you phones with plenty of smartphone cameras, far more so than now, that might not end up being the case: there are only so many different kinds of lens, so we'll soon reach a point where adding more lenses adds nothing new.

No, in fact, the real change will likely be megapixel count – at the end of 2019 the highest resolution in a smartphone is 108MP in the Xiaomi Mi Note 10, but it looks like a number of phones in 2020 are gearing up to match that. In ten years, though, that number could be through the roof.

Well, at least five times nearer the roof. Scientists have estimated that the human eye sees roughly 576MP, but that's assuming perfect vision with an image right by your face, so if you're looking at a phone at arm's length and don't have flawless vision, that number is higher than you'll ever need.

So people don't need cameras with incredibly high megapixel counts, and it would be a surprise if phone companies decided to even reach 576MP. Saying that, advances in megapixel count will almost certainly be more pronounced in 2030 than the number of rear cameras.

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Bulldog goes for a spin on a robot vacuum cleaner - Daily Mail

Posted: 31 Dec 2019 01:13 PM PST

Puppy power! Adorable moment Dixie the bulldog goes for a spin on a robot vacuum cleaner

  • English bulldog puppy looked relaxed while it was lying on an iRobot Roomba
  • The dog didn't budge an inch as the cleaning device moved around the room
  • At one point, vacuum - and dog's face - made gentle contact with back of a sofa 

A puppy enjoyed an unusual ride in a house - by hitching a lift on a robot vacuum cleaner.

Cute footage shows Dixie, an English bulldog, lying flat on an iRobot Roomba -  a circular device which automatically guides itself around.

The little pooch lies flat on its tummy as the vacuum moves across a tiled area while loud whirring is heard at the property in Spanaway, Washington.

Dixie, an English bulldog puppy, looks relaxed while hitching a ride on an iRobot Roomba vacuum cleaner at a property in Spanaway, Washington

Dixie, an English bulldog puppy, looks relaxed while hitching a ride on an iRobot Roomba vacuum cleaner at a property in Spanaway, Washington

When the dust-busting machine makes the transition from tile to carpet, the pint-sized pooch isn't the least bit bothered - and stays put without moving

When the dust-busting machine makes the transition from tile to carpet, the pint-sized pooch isn't the least bit bothered - and stays put without moving

When the cleaner reaches carpet, it slows down but Dixie remains relaxed and doesn't budge an inch.

Moments later, the Roomba makes contact with the back of a sofa, causing Dixie's face to make very gentle contact with it.

As the machine turns to adjust itself and continue its dust-busting mission, a girl can be heard laughing in the background.

By the end of the video, which was posted online on Sunday, Dixie is still happily plopped on the machine - which, conveniently, is part of its Pet Series. 

Slowly but surely, the vacuum makes contact with the back of a sofa. Dixie's face gently touches the furniture but the dog merrily carries on with its ride

Slowly but surely, the vacuum makes contact with the back of a sofa. Dixie's face gently touches the furniture but the dog merrily carries on with its ride

The robotic machine rotates to continue cleaning - with Dixie still on board

The robotic machine rotates to continue cleaning - with Dixie still on board

The cleaner that maps your home: What is a Roomba?

A Roomba maps your home while it cleans, meaning it knows exactly where it is, where it's been and where to go next.

It creates visual landmarks that it can recognise later, such as furniture and doorways.

All robovacs use short-range infrared or laser sensors to detect and avoid obstacles, but iRobot added a camera, new sensors and software to Roombas in 2015 to give them the ability to map while they clean.

These robotic vacuums work non-stop to collect visual data about homes, which is why they could be so useful for other smart home devices.

Founded in 1990, iRobot saw early success building bomb disposal robots for the US Army before launching the world's first 'robovac' in 2002.

The company sold off its military unit in 2016 to focus on the consumer sector, and says the Roomba - which ranges in price from $375 to $899 - still has 88% of the US robovac market. 

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