Innovation in the world of mobile technology doesn’t stand still, with advances such as artificial intelligence (AI) enabled virtual assistants, augmented reality, digital wallets and cloud-based apps transforming how we live and work over the past few years.
TCL ideintifies some of the key trends it believes will shape smartphones during 2024.
5G starts to become the new standard
We can expect 2024 to be a breakthrough year for 5G, with services becoming more widely available and the prices for 5G-ready smartphones becoming constantly more affordable. The GSM Association forecasts that 5G mobile adoption in South Africa will grow from 4% of total mobile connections in mid-2023 to 18% (22,1-million mobile connections) by 2025.
This will bring the benefits of true broadband speeds to more people in South Africa, helping to close the digital divide. People will be able to experience significantly faster response times when interacting with high-quality videos, large files and graphics-heavy apps. 5G also sets the foundation to enable smart cities, 8K video, virtual reality (VR) and other futuristic applications.
WiFi 7 arrives
WiFi 7 (11be), the next generation of the Wi-Fi standard, has been finalised, clearing the way for smartphone manufacturers to start releasing WiFi 7 certified products.
WiFi 7 promises much faster wireless networking speeds compared to previous versions. It also allows networks to handle more connected devices simultaneously without slowing down.
While it’s early days for the standard, like 5G, it is expected to be a critical enabler for the next generation of applications such as VR and cloud gaming.
On-device generative AI
Semiconductor companies like MediaTek and Qualcomm are integrating generative AI (GenAI) and large language model (LLM) capabilities directly into their chipsets for smartphones.
Today, most GenAI processing takes place online. But the next generation of smartphones will increasingly allow generative AI applications to run directly on the device.
This will offer a range of advantages, including seamless performance, greater privacy, better security and reliability, lower latency, the ability to work in areas with little to no connectivity, and lower operation cost. This builds on the AI features already embedded in many of today’s smartphones for applications such as enhancing camera performance or gaming visuals.
Satellite-to-device connectivity on smartphones
Satellite-to-device connectivity is one of the most exciting emerging trends in the mobile world. It enables users to receive a satellite connection directly on their smartphone without needing special equipment. This could allow them to stay in touch from their smartphone even where there is no cell coverage.
The early solutions enable you to send an emergency SOS by text, but one day it might become possible to use satellite-to-device connectivity to browse the internet or make calls. It will be a while before this technology becomes mainstream and affordable for the average smartphone user, but we are sure to see a lot of innovation in this space in the next couple of years.
Continued innovations in displays
Smartphone displays have become sharper, brighter and better over the years. We have also seen innovations such as foldable devices.
One technology available this year is NXTPAPER 3, an innovation from TCL that looks a lot like e-ink. It’s easy on the eyes, but is fully colourised and suitable for watching video and playing games.