I saw Steve Job’s iphone keynote presentation three years back in 2007. (before it was launched and before it become a household name) … at that time hardly anyone knew about iphone (that is among my friends), but I was impressed at this first presentation itself and totally sold out.
Last week I finally bought one for myself (yeah I know .. am probably the last one on earth to buy it) … main reason for delay was I didnt think up until now that I will need a smartphone – I am connected to internet 24X7, my commute is 5 minute drive – hardly any travel – all that combined doesnt leave any room for smartphone use.
So there wasn’t really a need.
But alas my last phone crashed, and I had to “upgrade” … so I thought better get an iphone now! Why wait longer?
Then my greed grew 🙂 and I was also thinking to get an ipad too – but again I dismissed it as I dont “need” it… but it led me to thinking.
I started downloading and experimenting with iphone apps – youtube, netflix, bbc and many games – while I was getting amazed it again caused my grey cells ringing and I started thinking more-
I thought it is amazing how unsatisfied we human beings are – 100 years back there was no medium for long distance communication. Then we invented Television, Phone, radio etc … but we were not satisfied!!
We invented cellphone, internet … but we were still not satisfied!!
Then we started merging all those technologies – so a cellphone is not only a phone, but it’s a camera, laptop, radio (ipod), tv (youtube and netflix on iphone) – all combined on an IPHONE.
By the fast pace we are going – probably in next 5-10 years we will be done with this merging – then how will it all look like?
How will the electronic devices around us look like – say in 2020?
Then this ipad sarcastic image came to my mind-
This image, although so hilarious – but probably it is true.
I dont own an IPAD, but going by the presentations on apple website – it looks like ipad is nothing but a bigger IPHONE. (with almost the same features)
And maybe that is they key to our answer.
I asked myself if in future IPAD will replace IPHONE or whether IPHONE will replace IPAD.
But then I felt that the very obvious answer is – neither.
Both of them have got its own use. You can not carry an ipad in your pocket .. neither can you browse internet continuously on an iphone. (eye strain)
So if all those electronic devices will coexist then they will all have same functionality – because of the merging – the only difference will be the size.
So your Television will also be a phone and a camera. Your tablet will also be a television and a phone. And the phone which is already a mini-computer and a television.
And this is not a forecast for future … this is already happening and we are probably in middle of it.
Based on this, the communication devices of future will be divided in categories based on Size alone-
1) Size Small communication devices (eg-iphone) – basically derivatives of cellphones
-basically a swiss army knife in your pocket … will have all features with size constraints
– face to face video chat will be a norm
– probably GPS will also be just another app
2) Size Medium communication devices (eg-ipad) – basically derivatives of laptop/tablets
– you can make any phone call also through this
– watch tv on this if you dont want to disturb whole family
3) Size Large communication device (eg- internet enabled TVs) – basically derivatives of TVs
4) XXL – is obviously the large flatscreens of today 🙂 , but having all other features that say an iphone has.
I vaguely thought of below situation, so thought to put this too to end this post-
Imagine you are returning home from office. You are walking towards your car and you get a call from your dad – you pickup the call and while talking get into the car and then fix it as a GPS device, while you switch the call also to a face to face chat. Now you are driving while having face to face chat with dad (which sounds a bit dangerous too … like texting while driving, but that is a discussion for another day)
You reached home in 20 minutes and your dad wished to talk to your younger son who is playing scrabble on his ipad – now rather than handing him the phone, you just divert the call to the ipad and then your dad talks with his grandson while also playing a few moves on the scrabble game he was playing.
After 5 minutes chat, your dad wishes to talk to rest of the family who are in living room and watching “XX got talent” (where XX is the country you live in 🙂 )
Again – rather than passing phone one by one, just divert the call to your TV and use TV remote to accept – and voila your grandpa is on life size video chat on TV. Talking with whole family like he is just on the other side of balcony window. 🙂 … since your daughter is big fan of the TV show – so you may want to keep the TV show on mute on half of the screen too.
I can keep on thinking and adding more, but I guess I will stop here 🙂
Thanks for reading.
Well you are the not the last one to buy an iphone, I am still holding out 🙂
Nice post ! Good to see you writing here again !
Maybe another option for future communications would be a microchip embedded on our body aka Star Trek :p
And actually, I am only half kidding on this one !
Hmm, thanks Ashish for the reply and the "like" on facebook 🙂 … as for any writer, what matters most is the feedback received 😀
yup microchip discussion is totally relevant – but probably a distant realization, I will say 50 year'ish (so you are more doordarshi than me) 😀 – and that is no kidding. It could be very well the norm. As technologies merge, why limit it to electronics merging – maybe electronics and biology will start merging – biotechnology in true sense! 🙂
The progress in all this research truly freaks me out … it is really amazing that whatever I mentioned in post is not a distant dream … it will be there in next 5-10 years.