Experts predict that advances in technologies such as virtual reality, augmented reality, artificial intelligence, and wearable electronics will spawn a new generation of devices that will change our daily lives even more than smartphones did. Presumably, the biggest technology companies and even each agency for software development are already working on a new type of electronic gadget that will replace smartphones in the next stage of the current technological revolution, known as Industry 4.0.
Apple, Facebook, Google, and Microsoft are only a few examples of technology firms that are racing to develop devices that are more sophisticated than smartphones.
What Technology Will Take the Place of the Smartphone?
The next bet for the tech industry is a set of technologies known as Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (AR), or Mixed Reality (MR). A computer is usually worn in front of the user’s eye to provide vision. They aim to present a new technology that is packed with appealing and efficient features.
This technology has been depicted in several films, including Iron Man.
Tony Stark’s sophisticated glasses are capable of displaying a variety of applications by utilizing an AI robot named Jarvis. This image is very likely to become a reality. This is because several technology behemoths are working in AR, VR, or MR devices.
What is Virtual Reality?
Virtual Reality (VR) is a computer-generated environment with realistic-looking scenes and objects that immerses the user in their surroundings. This environment is perceived by using a Virtual Reality headset or helmet.
VR enables us to immerse ourselves in video games as if we were one of the characters, learn how to perform brain and heart surgery, and improve the quality of sports training to maximize skills and performance.
What is Augmented Reality?
On the other hand, Augmented Reality or AR is an improved version of reality and the physical world. It is made possible by using sensory stimuli, digital visual elements, or sound delivered through technology. It is a growing trend among companies involved in mobile computing and in particular, business applications.
What is Mixed Reality?
MR combines physical and digital elements. Using next-generation sensing and imaging technologies, you interact with and manipulate both physical and virtual items and environments in mixed reality.
Without ever removing your headset, you can see and immerse yourself in the world around you while interacting with a virtual environment using your own hands. It allows you to have one foot in the real world and the other in an imaginary place.
It breaks down basic concepts between the two and provides an experience that can change the way you work and play your game today.
Gadgets that will Replace Smartphones
1. Google Glass Device
In 2020, Google released the Google Glass device with the addition of the Augmedix application. This is based on a headset camera and is used for medical purposes.
Google Glass is a voice and motion-controlled wearable Android device that looks like a pair of eyeglasses and displays information directly in the user’s field of vision.
This Smartglass provides an augmented reality experience by providing relevant information through visual, audio, and location-based inputs. A user could automatically receive flight status information upon entering an airport.
When the first version was released in 2013, consumers immediately expressed concerns about the glasses invading their privacy. Google Glass represented unavoidable recording in daily life. Google initially tried to rebrand the glasses as a tool for both medical and industrial workers.
2. Microsoft’s HoloLens 2
The Microsoft HoloLens 2 is a mixed reality headset that creates a simulated three-dimensional environment with which the user can interact using hand gestures or voice commands.
This second version of HoloLens is superior to the first version, which was released four years ago. It is more comfortable, has a much larger field of view, and can detect real physical objects in the room better. It includes new components such as the Azure Kinect sensor, eye-tracking sensors, an ARM processor, and a completely new display system.
It has two speakers, a visor that flips up, and it can see what your hands are doing more precisely than before. It has an 8-megapixel front-facing camera for video conferencing, is capable of full 6-degree tracking, and charges via USB-C. In a nutshell, it is jam-packed with cutting-edge technology.
3. Apple AR/VR Headset
According to people who have seen prototypes, the Apple VR and mixed reality headset will have ultra-high resolution screens and a cinematic speaker system, allowing for realistic visual experiences.
According to the sources, the headset looks like a slimmer, fabric-wrapped Oculus Quest, but the design is not final because the company is still testing to determine the best fit for most head shapes.
4. Apple AR Glasses
Apple AR Glasses according to Bloomberg will bring information from your phone to your face. These glasses, in particular, “are expected to sync with the user’s iPhone to display messages, maps, games, emails and many other apps over the user’s field of vision”
Also, Apple has plans for third-party applications as well and is considering a dedicated app store, similar to how apps for the Apple TV and Apple Watch are obtained.
Furthermore, an Apple patent has fuelled speculation and rumors that Apple Glass will not require prescription lenses because the Smartglasses will automatically adjust and correct a person’s poor eyesight using the “optical subassembly”.
This patent, however, could be for a standalone smartphone-powered virtual reality headset or a second-generation pair of Apple Smartglasses.
5. Facebook’s Project Aria
Facebook’s Project Aria is a modern device and a research gadget that is worn like regular glasses. It aims to assist users in developing the hardware and software required for future augmented reality devices, including a live map of 3D spaces.
This was developed by Facebook/Meta’s, AR tech, and Oculus Developers through the Reality Labs Research.
This device’s sensors will record the wearer’s video and audio as well as their eye-tracking and location information. The on-device computing power of the glasses will then be utilized to store and encrypt data. This data will be separately uploaded to a designated back-end storage space that will assist researchers in determining how augmented reality can work in the real world.
Conclusion
We continue to use smartphones because they are currently the lightest, smallest, and most powerful mobile devices available. However, AR, VR, and MR now take the form of lightweight devices and have become the most advanced and powerful devices in the tech world.
Smartphones may become obsolete and no longer necessary as these gadgets usher us beyond the confines of a smartphone. Indeed, we are living in the exciting times of technology.