Internet access, everywhere. Faster mobile networks. Greater computing power in ever-smaller packages. Unlimited data storage with still-faster retrieval. Ask anybody with an ounce of knowledge about technology what the future holds for mobile devices, and you’ll get answers like these.
What does all of that mean for mobile apps? It means a nearly infinite scope of opportunity for new ones.
For example, would you waste your time today on a smartphone app that gave frequent travelers something meaningful to use while strapped into an airplane seat? Not if it required Internet access, because today there are very few domestic flights that offer Wi-Fi. But fast-forward the clock just a few years into the future, and you may find that Internet access is just as common on airplanes as it is today in hotels.
Now, imagine an application that an iPhone user could access while he’s at 30,000 feet. Perhaps it gives him real-time updates of weather and traffic conditions in his destination city. Maybe it tells him which baggage claim conveyor he should walk to after he lands. And of course, it will no doubt tailor a few advertisements for local businesses to his specific preferences.
Social gaming, networking and mobile entertainment in general will benefit greatly from future technical advancements. The ability to download an entire full-length feature movie using a network faster than 3G (maybe they’ll call it something like Giga-G by then) to your phone, say, in two seconds flat? Wouldn’t that kind of speed make a big difference in how people use their phones in the future?
Finally, with ongoing advancements in the storage and computing power of mobile devices, the obstacles to bigger and brighter apps will continue to be removed.
Better. Stronger. Faster. That’s how the future of mobile applications will be built.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Thanks for this! For my part, I think that in the future, everything would be mobile. You don’t really need a huge sized CPU because everything would be on the cloud. So you get your phone and that will be enough for you to do your work anywhere.
Think of the iPad. Just put in a keyboard, use Wi-fi, get on the cloud and voila. Only that in the future, it’s going to be a lot faster and a lot convenient!
Christopher P.: Wow, that is such an exciting prospect if you ask me. I think that what you have said is already a reality now. We are able to work even without computers because most of our documents are in the cloud and can be accessed just about anywhere. And also, you can now download entire movies to your phone, even with a 3G access speed! It’s still fast