iPhone X, a better smartphone for the present not the future

From personal computers to smartphones, Apple has always revolutionalized the product category it has been into and sets a new benchmark for the industry. On the 10th anniversary of the iPhone, Apple introduced iPhone X, the most advanced and most expensive smartphone it has ever produced. Though the device packs in some advanced sensors and computing technologies, it is not a groundbreaking or revolutionary device like the original iPhone. It has just evolved into a better smartphone but has not revolutionized how we use smartphones. However, it has successfully set a new industry standard for the smartphone brands to meet and a new tone to the conversation on the future of smartphones.

Bezel-less Future: Apple decided to radically redesign the iPhone and remove the round home button, which has been a big brand identifier since the launch of the first iPhone, to introduce an edge to edge display screen on its device. Is Apple the first one to bring bezel-less screen display? No. Beginning this year, we saw Samsung, Essential phone and LG launch bezel-less display devices and Xiaomi Mi Mix2 stole the spotlight from Apple just a few days before the launch of iPhone X. But none of these brands are the first to bring this concept to life. In 2014, Sharp announced the first edge to edge display device through its smartphone, Aquos Crystal. Bezel-less screen is becoming the new customer expectation. Soon any device with thick breezeless will look outdated, no matter how advanced the device is. Meizu, another Chinese smartphone brand is likely to launch a full-screen bezel-less smartphone in 2018. If the future is all going to be bezel-less, what do designers do next? Could modular back panels be the next frontier of innovation?

Front is the new rear: Face ID. Apple has packed in a miniaturized Xbox Kinect in that rectangular notch at the top of iPhone X's screen, to unlock the device just by looking at it, replacing the Touch ID. Though the feature looks cool, it does raise some serious security concerns, and Apple is not the first to implement facial unlocking of devices. Several low-cost unknown smartphone brands in Asia including Fujitsu, Vivo, ZTE, have offered IRIS scanning based device unlocking feature. IRIS is not sophisticated as Face ID but does a decent job. Irrespective of the technology used, facial recognition is becoming an important form of biometric verification. From opening a bank account through selfie to making a payment, soon we will see more use cases of facial recognition. A static biometric alone wouldn't be enough to make our devices and digital identity safe. This is definitely a beginning, but we still need to think how we can use various biometrics to work in conjunction with each other to enable a multi-layered security system or behavioral biometrics could be another option to explore. Another aspect Apple's iPhone front camera setup is signaling to is the growing importance of front camera. We all love taking selfies, experiment with various filters and add emojis to our conversation. The role of front cameras is becoming crucial to make our conversation with the loved ones more expressive, personalized and joyful. Can such a powerful front camera setup be leveraged for a more immersive experience?

Wireless charging is the new normal: Wireless charging has been around for some years now but failed to get into the mainstream for various reasons. And again Apple is not the first to introduce wireless charging feature. HTC, Samsung, Microsoft, LG have been offering built-in wireless charging feature on their devices for quite some time. Leaving your phone on a wireless charging plate is almost like leaving the phone connected to a cable charger. The value of this feature is not in being able to charge the phone wirelessly at home or office, but anywhere you go. Currently, one needs to own a wireless charger and carry it around just like a cable charger to use this feature. As wireless charging service becomes more publically available like WiFi, the wireless charging feature will become a standard. Embracing Qi wireless charging rather than developing Apple's version of wireless charging for iPhone 8 and iPhone X is a smart decision and a big push to make wireless charging a mainstream feature. Now wireless charging service providers like Starbucks need not to make double investments to please both iOS and Android users. In the future, we may see more such cross-compatibility and universality across platforms for wireless transfer of data and power.  

Sim-less future is near: We have already lost the headphone jack, and wireless charging could potentially replace charging port in the future. Will we lose physical sim or sim tray in our next generation smartphones? Most probably yes. Apple Watch 3 with cellular connectivity houses an eSIM, a SIM card permanently soldered to the device’s board. Apple and Samsung have been in talks with network providers to adopt electronic sim for future smartphones. Today eSim is limited to only smartwatches, but we may soon see eSims in our smartphones enabling us to switch carriers on the fly. Elimination of physical sim and sim tray mechanism will create more room in the device to house advanced chips and processors to support intelligent assistants and augment or virtual reality. 

Apple didn't really innovate through iPhone X, but it brought together some of the best innovations to date and laid the foundation for the smartphones of the future. iPhone X is only a small glimpse into the future of smartphones, it's not the future. Front panel of smartphones has reached the tipping point of innovation. The next frontier of smartphone innovation is going to be the back panel of smartphones. 

Opinions expressed are solely my own and do not express the views or opinions of my employer.