Smartphones get smarter – Sky is the limit … or is it?

Apple Inc.’s iPhone was a revelation not only in the communications business but it also brought mobile computing into the picture. The later was a concept introduced by iPhone itself. Apple’s handheld revolutionized the smartphone industry, there is no doubt about it but spurred a chain reaction that brought many other businesses to their knees.

The smartphones now house several applications that do the same work offered by many standalone devices. The last five years have seen a dramatic change in mobile computing and it is anticipated that in next five to ten years many designated devices will either become obsolete or will work in specific niches.

Following are a few gadgets that might be washed out of the consumer market due to the evolution of smartphones.

GPS Devices

The standalone Global Positioning System equipment has already started to see a steep decline in their sales. Needless to say that in the next decade they will be a Timex watch in the digital world. Smartphones now facilitate the GPS services with a number of applications. Many cellular phone manufacturers have built-in positioning system to guide their users through the labyrinths of roads.

Besides, many automobile vehicles include the GPS in their stereo systems as an integrated part and by the end of this decade every car in the world will house the said service.

E-Readers

The iPhone’s release made way for a more advanced gadget that has rocked the world since its launch, the iPad. Apple released the slate in 2010 and since then it has not only reformed the tablets but has also inflicted deep impact upon the e-readers.

The product that was already targeted at a niche of a niche, much like Amazon’s Kindle, is definitely doomed to obsolete in the next few years.

The device is intended for reading purposes only, whereas the current tablets do the same and more in a very fashionable manner.

Feature Phones

It is expected that the epidemic of smartphone obsession will engulf 80 percent cellular-phone sales by 2015 and by the end of 2018 there will only be smartphones in the market.

Digital Cameras

The new smartphones in the market feature a minimum of 8 mega-pixel camera and the new iPhone 4S has even revamped this very idea. Inserting five lenses into the fold, the iPhone camera takes more light in and captures a clearer picture. In addition, the phone also records 1080p full HD video with frame stabilization.

The new technologies incorporated by phones are becoming a nightmare for the digital camera manufacturers and it is expected that low-end product line will be discarded in next five years.

Digital Music

The compact discs (CD) and digital versatile discs (DVD) are already seeing a slump in their consumer market as the digital music, video streaming and cloud hosting are slowly taking over the industry.

Moreover, Apple axed its very own digital music player, the iPod, which was a market leader in digital music industry. By the end of 2015, 80 percent of the music player market will be taken over by smartphones that can play not only music and videos but are capable of doing much more.

There seems no stopping to this technology which has not only revolutionized its target market but also has taken the lion’s share in other businesses.

Posted by Usman Khalid on Oct 20 2011. Filed under Sci-Tech. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry