Rapid innovations in artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT) and wearables have raised questions about the role of the smartphone in the future technology ecosystem. But even with the rise of new connected devices in the home, school, car and office, smartphones look set to retain their position as the hub through which people manage their digital lives.
That’s according Ernst Wittmann, TCL Regional Manager for Southern & East Africa and Global Operator Account Manager for Africa, who predicts that smartphones will be with us for many years to come. He says that the rise of new digital tools and technologies has, so far, made our smartphones more rather than less important in our lives. This trend is set to continue because of the versatility and omnipresence of smartphones in our world.
Says Wittmann: “The smartphone is one of the most widely adopted consumer technologies in history, with 84% of adults in developing countries owning a device. By contrast with the billions of phones owned and used worldwide, shipments of wearables have a long way to catch up. Smart glasses, fitness bands and smartwatches are gaining traction, but they still reach only a fraction of the population.
“Moreover, even as adoption of new IoT and wearable devices ramps up, these products tend to plug into existing habits rather than replace them. The smartphone is still the digital device that people interact with most throughout the day, for purposes such as work communication, banking, shopping, navigation, media streaming, messaging, identity and more.”
Smartphones are flexible and everywhere
Wittmann says that industry hype means that it is easy to focus on the novelty of new devices while underestimating the role of a device most people already own and rely on throughout the day. Smartphones are ever-present and constantly used exactly because they are flexible, easy to use and able to cover a wide range of purposes and contexts compared to more specialised devices.
Says Wittmann: “Your smartphone already makes it easy to capture data such as location, motion, orientation, biometrics, photos and video, and ambient conditions to share securely with apps and services. It already supports multiple connectivity standards, such as cellular, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and NFC, making it a natural bridge with a growing universe of connected devices around you.
“Furthermore, it offers a large screen, a decent-sized battery and high-performance processing, meaning that it can deal better with complex tasks such as AI processing than today’s wearables. You can also navigate your phone using either a touchscreen or your voice, offering a level of convenience you cannot yet expect from your smart speakers or fitness band.”
For these reasons, the smartphone is already control central for smart homes and connected cars. Smart security cameras, video doorbells, lighting systems, alarm systems and solar installations are typically installed, configured and monitored through smartphone apps. From checking a live camera feed while away from home to tracking energy production from rooftop solar, the phone is the dashboard for domestic digital life.
Meanwhile, fitness wearables collect health and activity data, but rely on smartphones to display trends, manage settings and share insights. In cars, platforms such as Android Auto turn your car’s display into an extension of the smartphone, allowing you to access navigation, media, calls and messages through a familiar interface. In each case, connected devices extend your smartphone rather than displace it.
Central control for digital living
“The smartphone has effectively become the remote control for a personal ecosystem of devices,” Wittmann notes. “Wearables and IoT devices do specific jobs extremely well, but the phone remains the place where everything comes together. As we see rapid development in areas such as AI, we will most likely see the role of the smartphone expand even more.”
We are seeing dedicated AI devices and screen-free assistants enter the market with the promise of simplifying interactions and reducing screen time. These products have interesting use cases but offer niche functionality and have had limited uptake so far. In practice, most depend on smartphones for setup, connectivity, updates or account management.
Says Wittmann: “Smartphones, meanwhile, increasingly feature powerful on-device AI experiences. AI-powered smartphones support everything from real-time translation and AI-assisted photography to context-aware applications and enhanced device security. On-device AI allows phones to process language, images and context locally, improving responsiveness and privacy.
“As processing power and dedicated AI hardware improve, smartphones are able to coordinate automation across multiple devices and act as a central control system for digital living. That means they will be the primary device for most of us, even as wearables continue to grow, and connected devices will become more autonomous. For the foreseeable future, the phone will be the pivotal device in most of our lives.”
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