Past the Alphabet
Past the Alphabet is a weekly column that focuses on the tech world each inside and outside of the confines of Mountain View.
I used to be lately requested to offer some the explanation why somebody may wish to transfer from iOS to Android, beneath the pretense that this hypothetical individual hadn’t used Android in over 10 years. After sitting and fascinated by it for a short time, I offered my responses, however I additionally got here away with a burning query — Is AI actually the final frontier?
It is a query that is been rattling round in my head for the higher a part of the previous 12 months, as I’ve watched Google, Samsung, Apple, OnePlus, and others, attempt to discover the fitting stability. OpenAI’s ChatGPT is basically in charge after it exploded onto the scene again in late 2022. It turned so standard so shortly that it pressured Google’s hand to the purpose that Gemini was initially referred to as Bard. Like, for months, earlier than making the right determination to rebrand it.
On the similar time, Apple threw within the towel and simply built-in ChatGPT into the iPhone, and it nonetheless would not do something to make Siri any higher. Samsung’s partnership with Google is paying off, as it’s leaning closely on Gemini for its Galaxy AI integrations. Even OnePlus bought within the sport, additionally counting on a mixture of its personal in-house developed AI fashions, together with Gemini Nano on the likes of the OnePlus 13.
All of this sounds nice, really. However what can probably be subsequent?
There’s not a lot else that may be carried out in the best way of design innovation. We have already got flippable clamshells, book-style foldables, and even bi-folds that everybody is asking tri-folds. And whereas rollable telephones have not actually hit the market but, they won’t be far off, as Lenovo introduced a rollable laptop computer that is truly being launched later this 12 months.
Android is not taking part in catchup to iOS, at the very least in most regards, and one may even argue that Android is the higher platform for everybody. Do you wish to tinker? Use Android. Need to maintain issues easy? Get a Pixel. Seeking to replicate the Apple ecosystem? Look no additional than Samsung.
Whereas I may positively sit right here and nitpick about issues on each iOS and Android, that is type of the purpose. They’re solely nitpicks. The panorama is nothing prefer it was, as there’s fairly a little bit of function parity between the 2 platforms. No, it is not synchronous, however the days of not having the ability to carry out even probably the most fundamental of duties on one and never the opposite have disappeared from the rearview mirror.
So what can probably be subsequent? I actually do not suppose the reply truly lies inside smartphones. If I have been to make a non-educated guess, the “Subsequent Large Factor” would not even have something to do with a smartphone. I believe we’re heading in a very completely different course, and the almost certainly finish result’s going to be a wearable like Meta’s Ray Ban Sensible Glasses.
Possibly it will not be these particularly, but it surely needs to be one thing in that ballpark. On the similar time, I do not suppose it will likely be digital actuality, at the very least not in our day-to-day lives. Possibly VR overtakes console gaming or one thing, however seeing how standard handhelds have gotten, I doubt even that occurs.
As identified by Michael Hicks, Android Central’s senior editor of Wearables & AR/VR, there are loads of potential issues that can should be remedied with varied Android XR headsets after they lastly hit the market. These are related points to those that proceed to have an effect on smartwatches, resembling “battery life, snug and classy designs, accessible controls,” amongst others.
Though Google and Samsung are getting a late bounce in comparison with Meta, that is not essentially a nasty factor. With different firms already releasing choices, this provides others the chance to be taught what errors to keep away from, along with having an thought of “what works” versus what would not.
Nonetheless, not like smartphones and different wearables, Android XR has the distinct and distinctive “benefit” of being the primary new platform to reach within the age of AI. We totally count on Gemini to be in every single place and anyplace that Google can put it, however I additionally would not be shocked if its performance is restricted for the primary 12 months or two.
That is just because sensible glasses have a restricted bodily area, and can have a large number of varied sensors and different vital parts simply to work. Plus, new platforms and new gadgets normally imply greater costs as firms attempt to recoup the R&D prices along with trying to show a revenue.
No, I do not consider that AI is the ultimate frontier, however I do consider that we’re on the “finish of the road” by way of avenues that may be explored by way of {hardware}.
Nothing will be capable of replicate and even exchange the smartphone for a lot of causes, however primarily as a result of your cellphone is probably the most private machine you may have. That is partially why I believe we’re seeing firms shift focus to implementing AI into the software program, because it ought to make our most private gadgets much more private.
So, whereas it might seem to be AI is the subsequent frontier, I do consider that there is nonetheless room for one thing new by way of {hardware}. Now, it is simply as much as firms to determine what that appears like and discover methods to implement it in our every day lives.