The realm of technology

By: Rabia Omer

The realm of technology is infinite and so are its inventions. Smartphones have become ubiquitous and are continuously being updated. So here I will talk about five tantalizing updates that await our future:

1-Folding mobiles:

Sounds fantasy?! Not now as this idea has been floated and actually worked upon by some foreign companies such as BOE which has made a gadget it dubbed as “phone belt”.The screen of this latest gadget can fold easily in a seamless fashion-yes, without any physical folding lines appearing.

 At a display industry conference held in Los Angeles in May 2018, BOE shows its 7.5 inches “phone belt” which could fold without any clamshell appearance and back again without any breaking.Such gadgets wouldn’t be a one-off thing as we should brace ourselves for such mobile screens in future. The president for the Society for Information Display, Helge Seetzen predicted that soon we’ll be to fold screens as sharply as a piece of paper. This will happen when manufacturers will replace the rigid glass with plastic. So, essentially we would have plastic phones if you call it. Producing such mobile phones is a tougher task but having plastic screens can be of great advantage in terms of protecting our screens from damage though they risk scratching. Samsung Galaxy X Wing which is the newest of its type will be launched next year, with initial cost $1,850 but it may take five years to reach to folding screens.

2-Airy chargers:

Now air particles will be your “charger” instead of adapter&cable. Companies like Energous and Ossia are already sending radio-waves into the air so that our mobiles can charge themselves without being plugged into sockets. This can relieve mobile users of the fatigue of charging mobiles every now and then. But before discharging low levels of power directly in air, firms are trying to induce power in computers and speakers so that they can charge nearby mobile phones. An interesting concern is the impact of such radio waves on human lives notwithstanding the fact that already we are surrounded by such waves. Researchers argue that they won’t affect us as they are dispersing low level of frequencies in air. Though it will not be as efficient as our tangible chargers, the benefit is that our phones will be charging themselves continuously. The devices that can self-charge over medium and long distances are likely by 2019/2020.

3-Multi-lenses camera:

Though dual lenses at the back of our phones are seen in Apple and Samsung and Huawei has launched a triple lens camera in P21 Pro. But we can expect such mobiles which would compete in quality with big honking-lens cameras. This would be made possible by covering the back of the phone with a cluster of small lenses that shoot simultaneously and then make it into one big photo. Companies have experimented with the 9-lens camera at the back of the phone as well. Such phone design is capable of capturing 64 megapixels shots, improved low-light performance, and sophisticated depth effects. But such technology is not cheap.

Featuring Stand-alone camera from announced smartphone later that be 16 multi-lens this its lenses costs $1950.The Light-a camera maker-with will an array company says a year.4-In-screen fingerprinting scanner:

4-In-screen fingerprint scanner:

With full-screen in vogue, Androids shifted fingerprint scanner to the back. But the latest idea is to have a phone that is all-screen and a fingerprint scanner still right where it belongs. Latest technological breakthroughs let phone makers embed the fingerprint reader inside the screen. You just need to press your finger over the right area of the screen-indicated by a thumbprint image-and the phone unlocks. Chinese manufacturers Vivo and Xiaomi have already offered this feature, but if you are an Apple fan you don’t need to freak out as Apple has said that it will continue with its Face ID feature. Samsung has already confirmed to use this feature in-screen scanner in its Galaxy S 10.

5-Wear your mobile:

This sounds maverick, but this fifth update can be mind-boggling: you can wear glasses and see what’s happening in your mobile screen without actually looking at it. Though Google Glass was a flop Apple has applied for the patents. However, very few people like to walk around wearing a face computer.DreamWorlds’ DreamGlass is now available in the market for $400.That is more consumer-friendly glasses that don’t require wires or heavy gear are at least minimum five years away!

So we in Pakistan ought to wait for quite some time to experience these exciting updates!