Mobile processors have come a long way. It’s a tired cliché now, but the device that you carry around in your pocket every day really does have more computing power than the computers that sent Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins to the moon. We simply take for granted that computers will become ever more capable as time marches on. And not without reason, as processors become smaller and faster every year.
Of course, this begs the question: what possible developments can the future hold? If our phones and tablets can do the things that they do now, imagine what they’ll be capable of 10 years from now. Consider this: smartphones as we know them are less than a decade old. When PCs were a decade old, the year was 1985. Needless to say, the future is exciting.
From Small Beginnings
That mobile devices are as powerful as they are, particularly so early in their development, is no small feat. Though computers like the iMac incorporate a slim design as a point of pride, most of today’s PCs still utilize towers. This construction allows for multiple (large) processors and graphics cards to be installed quickly and easily. Adding computing power to PCs is something of a non-event; they have the luxury of space (and cooling) and the processors don’t need to be shock-resistant. Smartphones and tablets have no such luxury. Mobile processors have a lot more hurdles to overcome than their PC brethren.
Only ongoing technological innovation allows today’s top mobile devices’ processors to perform at the level they do. Thanks to continuous research and development, the number of transistors on a chip doubles roughly every two years. In fact, this has been true since computer transistors were first invented. There’s even a name for the phenomenon: Moore’s Law. Named after the co-founder of Intel, Gordon Moore, this principle still holds true for the most part, even while processors become so small that space is literally running out. Technological advancement is simply a natural byproduct of the industry. As a result, today’s smartphones are almost unrecognizable from those available just seven years ago.
The Future’s So Bright…
I’ve gotta wear shades. At least, so said Pat MacDonald of 80s pop band, Timbuk3. When it comes to mobile devices and the computer industry in general, this sentiment isn’t far off. Don’t believe us? Many of the industry’s most recent announcements represent real gains. SanDisk is promising solid-state drives with 10-year warranties, storage space up to 1TB, and read speeds up to 550MBps; wireless charging, docking, and data transfer could soon become commonplace, all but eliminating the need for wires; and mobile processors like Qualcomm’s Snapdragon are set to become faster and more powerful than ever before, which could finally make the promise of voice and gesture control a reality. Voice and gesture-operated smartphones and smartwatches could bring mobile technology one step closer to its ideal form – an on-demand, always-present resource with an intuitive and enjoyable user experience.
Ultimately, this could be the future. Not necessarily faster computing for the sake of shorter load times (after all, as processing speeds become faster, programs become larger), but advancements in the user interface and overall experience. Mobile devices, regardless of how powerful they become, will always be limited by their screen size. An Android phone will never compare to a high-end personal computer with a 4K (or 8K) monitor. However, it’s also true that a computer will never offer the portability that your smartphone does. Recognizing the unique nature of smartphones, smartwatches, and tablets gives the industry an opportunity to imbue them with unique purpose and function. Should they, we could all be in for a bright future that sees devices incorporated into our lives more seamlessly than ever.
Mobile Devices Aren’t Going Anywhere
Though the jury on smartwatches is still out, there can be no doubt that mobile devices represent the future of personal computing. Traditional desktop computers aren’t going anywhere, and will likely remain a staple in office and school environments for some time to come (even as tablets and smartphones encroach from the edges), but when it comes to having a personal relationship with our computers, mobile is the future. We already see it in media consumption and search statistics – we can likely expect the gap to only get larger moving forward.
from Darlene Milligan http://ift.tt/1UH9r0S via transformational marketing
from Tumblr http://ift.tt/1IYWXeb
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