Togetherness is the future for smartphones

It was 40 years ago that the world’s first mobile telephone call was made in New York. Mobile telephones in the 1970’s and 1980’s were huge pieces of equipment. That first call was made on a chunk of plastic that was nine inches tall with thirty circuit boards, it took ten hours to charge up and had a talk time of thirty-five minutes. Who could have possibly imagined that a device that was originally designed as a telephone would evolve to become a life companion.
During those forty years, mobile phones have undergone rapid and constant change – the evolution of the mobile saw many milestones seemingly come from nowhere: the text message, group chats, voice notes. Then came the groundbreaking ability to share an image in real time: to take a photo with your phone and immediately send it as a ‘multimedia’ message, to somebody on the other side of the world. Anticipating key trends such as the instinctive desire to share what one can see and feel is what enables manufacturers to stay ahead of the game.
For the world’s leading mobile telephone company like Samsung, there is a heavy responsibility to continue to deliver innovative technologies that bring people closer to the things that matter in life – to make living a richer, easier and fuller experience. This is the direction of travel for the Smartphone. The purchase of a Smartphone is no longer about its ability to make a call, send a photo or upload a document. Smartphones are now a way of life, a personal assistant, a constant companion that has the ability to make every part of life easier. The challenge is to offer Smartphone customers a platform that makes human interaction central to everyday life. Understanding the human need to share, to reach out and engage positively with other people is central to the future development of the Smartphone industry.
Until now, the Smartphone has been a passive device – waiting for us to lift it, hold it and press it. Samsung has signaled an end to this relationship. The technology inside this Smartphone is so advanced that the device can be manipulated either by voice or by a simple wave of the hand. The future (for now at least) is in the gesture. ‘Air Gesture’ means that the GALAXY S4 can be manipulated without even touching the screen – so if it is raining or too cold to take your gloves off, the Smartphone can be controlled by simply waving your hand over it. ‘Samsung Smart Pause’ enables you to control the screen with your eyes. Whilst watching a video, it is possible to ‘press pause’ by looking away – the movie starts again as soon as you look back.
The GALAXY S4 also features a ‘Group Play’ function – users can enjoy music, photos, documents and games with those around them without even requiring a wi-fi AP or cellular signal.
This innovation enables users to connect directly with others to share, play and co-create content and entertainment instantly. These are the features that Smartphone users demand.
These innovations are a major milestone on the Smartphone road map, but it is not the final destination. The ability to wander down the road and speak to a relative at home many miles away was nothing short of miraculous in 1995, but it rapidly became commonplace. Gesture-based interaction will also soon become the accepted reality. So too will the reliance on our smartphones to provide important lifestyle solutions. They are already our companions.
Samsung sold more Smartphones than any other company in the world in Q4 of 2012. It did this by understanding that the Smartphone is more than just a telephone, more than a media player and much more than a digital camera. Samsung has focused heavily on developing technologies that foster interaction with others. Moreover, the world of the Smartphone is now moving towards a focus on community – connecting people with their communities, their loved ones and the wider society.
The direction of travel in the Smartphone market is towards togetherness. Producing a best-in-class piece of hardware that is beautifully crafted and equipped with software that helps people to live a richer, simpler and fuller life is the ultimate goal. Using a Smartphone is now second nature to hundreds of millions of people. Using it is now increasingly effortless, graceful and supportive of a better living experience.

The writer is Managing Director of Samsung Electronics Pakistan