I have read several stories this year about the death of the smartphone, and how the technology is tapped out. I initially wrote them off as fake news or just looked the other way in denial. But after seeing the new releases of the Pixel 2, the iPhone 8 and the iPhone X, I’m really beginning to think they were right. It’s not that these phones aren’t the smartest devices in the world – they are. I mean they are computers in our pocket what the brainpower to fly a ship to the moon. The failure seems to be in the “lack luster” or the interest companies put into the phones. And maybe there isn’t much technology left to pack into these devices, but it’s hard to believe that Apple and Google aren’t introducing some new cool device that beams a holographic image or scans your body for diseases.
While there is plenty of hype and glitz when these phones have launched but they seem to be riddled with issues and glitches. The Pixel 2 has had screen problems and audio issues. The iPhone 8 is really the iPhone 7 for more money.The iPhone X face just looks like a awkward design. For the money that they cost, I think we all want more, or the same for less money. I mean generally speaking were getting new phones every 1-2 years.
And are these companies listening to customer feedback? Most people still want the headphone jacks in their phones. It feels like they are doing technology for the sake of technology – and to sell us new headphones.
New technology
So are Apple and Google working on anything cool besides VR? Not that VR isn’t cool but AI seems to have more use to a consumer. Here’s a rundown of some of their ventures.
Google is working on Google Lens, which is pretty cool. It’s the best of AI and technology combined. You can scan any thing, any person or data and it tells you what that object is – and files it under people or houses or whatever it is.
They are also working on getting the internet to the rest of the world called Project Loon. Project Loon tries to solve this problem by taking it to the stratosphere. By using balloons, Google plans to provide Internet connection to the whole world. It works by acting as a node between the base Internet Service The balloons fly 20 kilometers (around 13 miles) above the ground. And Loons, powered by solar energy, can use the wind in the stratosphere to “sail” across the land.
Project Titan – this is the Apple car that was rumored, then killed and now seems to be a reality. Apparently, Apple becomes “committed” to a project once the company begins spending huge amounts of money on tools, company acquisitions and other processes.
“We explore things with teams of people. And that’s a part of being curious,” Tim Cook said.
Apple is looking for the holy grail in healthcare. If it could monitor diseases like diabetes, hundreds of millions would buy what Apple is selling. CNBC reported that, Apple has hired a small team of biomedical engineers to work at a nondescript office in Palo Alto, California, miles from corporate headquarters. They are part of a super secret initiative, initially envisioned by the late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, to develop sensors that can non invasively and continuously monitor blood sugar levels to better treat diabetes, according to three people familiar with the matter.
