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You might be forgiven for thinking that innovation in smartphones has reached saturation point; what’s left to explore? Manufacturers are continuing to push the envelope, however, announcing smarter smartphones for the year ahead. The trends and predictions for smartphones in 2011 got a kick start at CES in January and there will be another burst of energy at the Mobile World Congress next month. So just what are the top trends to follow when it comes to smartphones and their OS, hardware and software in 2011?
Smartphone OS
Right now the smartphone OS is super hot between Google Android and Apple iOS. While the iOS has iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad in its kitty, Android has emerged as a hot favorite with the likings of Samsung, HTC, Motorola, LG and other leading device manufacturers, including the Shanzhai.
Apple’s hold on the smartphone market had grown to 16.7% in 2010, but is facing tough competition from Android on all fronts. The rumor mill says there will be a new iPhone this year and Apple is going to take the competition to a new level. Insiders suggest that Apple will respond in a big way in 2011, one rumor includes a Verizon iPhone. Who knows, Apple might introduce cheaper iPhones, to compete with Droid, Galaxy and HTC phones.
Smartphone OS battle is going to be fierce in 2011 with Gartner estimating that by Q3 Android will have a 25.5% market share. Android, with its current growth rate, might catch up with Symbian’s 36% share in 2011 to become the most popular smartphone OS across the globe.
Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7, which was launched in 2010, will also be looking to increase its market share in 2011.
There are also a few rumors doing the rounds of an alliance between BlackBerry and Microsoft. The rumor has it that BlackBerry smartphones will run Windows 7 Phone, with seamless access to both Microsoft Exchange and BlackBerry messaging services.
The new version of Palm’s WebOS is also rumored to be coming soon. HP is also gearing up to unveil a brigade of WebOS based devices in 2011, with powerful interfaces and features.
Android, Apple, BlackBerry, Windows Phone 7 and WebOS… am I missing something? Oh yes … MeeGo. It’s high time Nokia introduced MeeGo in the smartphone market before it’s too late.
Hardware trends
Smartphones have already started encroaching on the segments of netbooks, notebooks and desktop computers and this has become deeper with the influx of dual core processors in smartphones. More than 25% of smartphones to be shipped by the end of 2011 are expected to have dual core ARM chips on board.
The dual core processors will bring faster browsing, seamless flash content, responsive gaming and better video capabilities for smartphones. Sony Ericsson is rumored to be launching a PlayStation phone soon. There are speculations that Nvidia will also tailor their Tegra line of processors to enable high-end gaming in smartphones.
Dual cameras will also become a trend in 2011, and also flawless video recording in hi-definition 1080p mode. They may also include HDMI video output to view videos on hi-definition televisions and external displays. This will be followed by the transition of mobiles into portable HD home theatres, with fast video streaming and downloads courtesy 4G networks.
Android Gingerbread 2.3 pre-empted the next hot trend of mobile technology, the near field communications (NFC) or short range wireless technology. NFC failed to get picked up that well in 2010, due to the lack of compatible devices, but 2011 may see more devices supporting NFC; the iPhone 5 may be one of them.
The dual SIM has become a norm for mobile phones worldwide thanks to the Shanzhai and there is a strong possibility that this year dual SIM functionality will become a hot trend in brandname smartphones.
Remember Intel? It’s a company that’s not often in the picture when it comes to smartphones but they might even take a dash at it in 2011! Intel CEO Paul Otellini has announced that smartphones running on Intel’s smartphone processor, which is currently in the customer sampling stage, will come out in the second half of 2011. Intel chips are expected to support all the popular smartphone OSs such as Android, Windows and MeeGo.
Software trends
The key trend in 2011 for smartphones will be mobile applications. Apple has over 3 million apps, Android has more than 2 million and even the late-comer, Windows Phone 7, has over 1600 apps. The app stores are now inseparable from smartphones and this bond is only going to get stronger in 2011.
Location based networking apps are going to be the next big thing in smartphones, from finding nearby restaurants, to business promotion. Social networking will also continue to grow bigger and may become a primary way of sharing information among smartphone users in 2011. There could be a consolidation of mobile devices and advancement of mobile to mobile communication technology like FaceTime, Skype and messaging applications.
Next we will see the incorporation of mobile management tools in smartphones. Microsoft might launch mobile office for all smartphone platforms, and Apple and Google may introduce desktop-equivalent browsers for their respective platforms. There are some exciting devices lined up for 2011 … a possible Verizon iPhone 5, LTE compatible smartphones from Motorola and HTC, Sony Ericsson’s PlayStation phone, truly capable gaming smartphones, and more. So what do you think will be the key trendsetters in the smartphone segment this year?
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