What will the future of computing look like? Right now, that's the million dollar question, and looking at the state of things, we could go in several directions.
So many revolutionary technologies are being developed and it is quite difficult to say which will be more prevelant in the future. I don't think we as a race will use only one exclusively, as proven by the past.
There is augmented reality and in the future, we could all be wearing smart contact lenses or eye wear for our computing needs. Or computers could become ubiquitous, meaning they would be so tiny yet powerful, that they would be virtually everywhere, even inside of us.
In the immediate future though, we could continue towards the gradual evolution of touchscreens that has been going on for quite some time. And it seems like we are on the brink of the next major evolution: foldable phones.
One Step Closer To Sci-fi
We've often seen foldable screen devices in sci-fi movies where a user takes out a small looking device from his pocket and unfolds it onto a table to reveal a much larger screen. It really looks sleek, futuristic and highly convenient.
Those days may not be far away from reality. Recently, at an event, Samsung showed off its upcoming foldable phone, which is rumoured to be called the Galaxy F and launched in March next year.
Samsung didn't reveal the device completely though. It was inside of a clunky case to hide the actual design until release but it appeared to function perfectly. When folded, it can be used as a phone with a 4.58 inch display, and when unfolded, it can be used a tablet with a 7.3 inch display.
Samsung is calling this new display, the Infinity Flex Display and it has had to develop new materials and manufacturing processes for this to become a reality. I have to say, looking at the video, it seems like it's going to be really cool.
Other tech companies like Apple, Lenovo, Xiaomi and others are rumoured to be developing foldable phones too and it will be interesting to see how this new direction develops. One big advantage for the consumers will be that now, they wouldn't need to buy a phone and a tablet!