Smartphones to die out 'within five years', says new study

Telegraph (UK) ^ | December 8, 2015 | Adam Boult

[ConservativeStatement]

Many consumers believe smartphones will cease to exist within five years, according to new research carried out by researchers on behalf of Ericsson.

The company's ConsumerLab questioned more than 100,000 customers in its native Sweden and 39 other countries, seeking their views on their technological desires for the future.

[FlingWingFlyer]

Probably because Obammie’s “climate change” hoax will result in people having nowhere to plug them in for recharge.

[Tucker39]

Aand they’ll be replaced with what?

[Tax-chick]

Many consumers believe ...

So what? That's not anything like a useful fact.

[Smokin' Joe]

Semaphore. After the EMP, it will be one of the few things that work. (/s)

[MulberryDraw]

Within 5 years? I don’t think so. Reminds me of Obama saying just go invent something as if it’s trivial.

[Ditter]

I know people who refuse to give up their flip phones so I doubt this.

[jaydubya2]

Slightly off subject but:

"Ericsson decided to sponsor a speech by Bill Clinton and paid him more than he had ever been paid for a single speech: $750,000. According to Clinton financial disclosures, in the previous ten years Ericsson had never sponsored a Clinton speech. But now it apparently thought it would be a good time to do so.

On November 12, 2011, Bill appeared at a telecom conference in Hong Kong and talked in general terms aobut the role that telecom plays in our lives. One week later, on November 19, the State Department unveiled its new sanctions list for Iran. Telecom was not on the list….

In April 2012, President Obama signed an executive order imposing sanctions on telecom sales to Iran and Syria. But those sanctions did not cover Ericsson’s work in Iran."

[lacrew]

I doubt it. But I have noticed, with my latest phone purchase, that I can’t imagine smart phones getting much better...without some sort of breakthrough. In particular, I think the durability (especially glass) has been greatly improved. So I plan to have this phone for a long time...so I could see a drop in sales.

[ctdonath2]

A bizarre conclusion. It may be exchanged in favor of some hot new technology - which would have to show up next year to have enough time to persuade most to dump their smartphones. Not sure at this point what could conceivably _more_ convenient and info-dense as a pocket-sized tablet; VR is poised to explode, but is a “sit down and shut off the world” device, not a quick-glance format; contact-lens displays are in the works but a good 10 years from viable for mass use; watches can have the information density but insufficient real estate. It’s taken some 30 years to go from first tablet prototype to “everyone has one”; no other tech has 20+ years of development underway verging on mass application for mobile use.

[FlingWingFlyer]

Human to human contact and conversation.

[Bubba_Leroy]

Predictions about future technology are almost always wrong. People keep inventing things that no one else has thought of.

[ImJustAnotherOkie]

What’s this going to do to Apple? It is the foundation of their success and their cash cow. If it comes true their poor record of innovation outside of phones doesn’t bode well. Maybe they can copy someone else.

[NaturalScience]

Wearables? Implants? The Mark?

[PAR35]

The ‘Smart Phones’ tend to not be very good phones. I can see a divergence back to old text and talk phones and separate tablets or wearables for data.

[NELSON111]

>>>Many consumers believe smartphones will cease to exist within five years..

The old "many people believe" trick. Well..."many people" will be wrong. Not happening. 20-30? Maybe....but there are friends of mine who still have there 10 year old cells. They slowly get smart phones when their old ones go tango uniform.

Remember...the ice caps were supposed to disappear in 5 years. How's that working out?

[mad_as_he$$]

Lost art and skill. No chance it is that! ;-)

[lrdg]

And flying cars. I was promised flying cars (about fifty years ago).

Humans seem to be real bad at predicting the future of technology.

Another example ~ Thirty years ago I spent a bunch of time trying to teach high school students how to program computers. We were told, and passed on the young minds, that to be successful with computers one would have to be able program. Sorry for that kids. :(

(Any one want to buy some slightly used Pascal text books?)

[FourPeas]

Yet another poorly written headline

[Bryanw92]

The Smartphone will die out when it is replaced with an implantable communication device that will allow people to access the Internet 24/7 and will allow them to buy and sell.