Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Ramadan 17, 1445 H
broken clouds
weather
OMAN
23°C / 23°C
EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

True innovation in technology and mobile

Stefano Virgilli
Stefano Virgilli
minus
plus

Under Steve Job’s watch, Apple was a tech company with a focus on design and branding. It seems like the Apple of Tim Cook have managed to create and shine the lifestyle industry. Apple watch alone is almost generating more revenues than the entire Swiss watch industry. The unimpressive earbuds are just the most expensive regular gadget on the market. But there is a reason for that. Ever since the iPhone was launched, most mobile device manufacturers have taken Apple as the standard to follow. This was mostly because those who tried to stick to their legacy design and operating system went towards catastrophic downturn.


One by one, the giants like Motorola, Nokia and even Microsoft lost the battle against Apple first, and Samsung next. But it was not meant to last long.


iPhone 6 was the best seller phone, with over 220 million units sold globally, but Apple had started the “change me frequently” pattern that most users decided not to embark on. In fact, iPhone 7 sold nearly a third of the record breaking predecessor, with the largest majority of Apple fans willing to skip 1 or 2 versions before “upgrading”.


Let us talk about “upgrading” for a minute. What is a tech upgrade? We could find inspiration in the digital camera industry (DLSR). The main players Canon and Nikon started suffering massive decline in sales starting from Christmas 2013, when there was really nothing much more that they could have added to their camera to make them even better.


It was a plateau in the innovation, when the latest version had such an unnoticeable improvement that most clients decided to start skipping upgrades.


In software, Adobe found the same obstacle around 2011, when there was not much that could be added to mature software like Photoshop, so they started the “swapping cards” game, where a tool was added while a comparable tool was removed.


Many Photoshop users became very angry when the outline tool was removed and replaced by an “improved” version that was much more difficult to use and provided worse outlines than the tool that Adobe retired. Fortunately that became better in later versions, but still most designers around my age miss the old fashion outliner tool.


In phones we have reached that stagnant point. What is the difference between iPhone 11 and iPhone X? Hard to list anything that could have significant impact in an average user. But some things are changing, although in the past few months at least 4 manufacturers have launched “upgrades” that mostly reflect in pricing, not really in utility.


It is the case of Samsung Fold, seen by most as “an innovation for the sake of innovation”. Samsung Fold is a classic mobile phone that can unfold into a squared monitor, as a tablet. It also features multitasking, which manufacturers in general push as a great thing to have, because they think like a machine, but users have very little use for it, because as humans we cannot multitask, period.


And give it size, when it is fully spread open, how to hold it up? Too heavy to watch in bed, too large to stand up on the table... I find it quite unpractical.


But I know I am a unique mobile phone user. I am so used to type emails and messages using a keyboard that I cannot do anything with a “normal” phone. I need to have physical keys and I can type many times faster than tapping my fingers on the flat glass screen of a “normal” phone.


In fact, Blackberry is my favourite choice for a work phone, not because I am a nostalgic, but because frankly that is the only option on the market for someone who puts productivity first. All the other users would postpone important tasks to when they are in front of their computer. It is really strange that no other manufacturer would want clients like “us”.


But recently Microsoft announced the newest phone, and I must admit it is really inspiring. It feels that they are not pushing innovation for the sake of innovation, but with users in mind. In fact, the new device looks exactly like a mini laptop. It opens up like a book and reveals 2 screens.


One flat on the table and the other one up, like a laptop. The flat screen on the table can be a keyboard, becoming exactly like a mini laptop. I am very intrigued by this concept that will be on the market only starting next year.


Lastly, the phone that is stealing the show to all others, is the latest Motorola, a truly folding phone that folds in the middle and becomes compact, exactly like the old fashioned Motorola phones.


It solves a simple problem: modern phones are too big and take up so much space... especially when we are not using them. I caught myself shopping for a man-bag that I could carry around, big enough to hold my phone and my wallet. Problem solved if I went for the latest Motorola.


The industry is also planning phones that can be assembled in parts. So if we are going out to sightseeing we can add the camera module, but if we are in the office working, we can add the keyboard module.


Planning a long trip? Use connect 2 batteries instead of one. Want to watch your content on a larger screen? Connect an extra screen. Every user is individual customer and I believe it is time to offer each user an option to be unique.


SHARE ARTICLE
arrow up
home icon