Can this possibly be how mobile UX will look in the future?
Imagine a startup’s bold idea in the tech giant’s implementation.
Smartphones today are getting new features every year, specs and pricing close to laptops, and they are as personal as never before thanks to fancy sensors and recognition systems. We spend so much time on our gadgets that it can harm our productivity. What if mobile UX of the future is nothing like that?
Recently, I came across this great Light Phone Indiegogo campaign, and instantly started sharing it with my friends and colleagues typing ‘Check it out! Isn’t it cool?’. Don’t get me wrong, the hardware looks legit, and the ultimately minimalistic User Interface is an exciting concept for such a design-geek as I am. However, what struck me really hard is the philosophy behind this project.
I don’t believe that in 5 years high-end smartphones will look and perform this ascetic. But seriously, some apps with infinite feed or addictive games don’t respect your time. Every week I see dozens of new articles with tips on how to be more productive with your gadgets, and the critical point of all of them is to get rid of (or at least carefully dose) time-killer apps.
Now, imagine the whole mainstream mobile OS, like Android or iOS, built on the principles of respecting your time, focusing on the essential features for communicating people and restricting addictive UX-practices. Doesn’t it sound like a part of the setting for some hip-utopian film like Spike Jonze’s Her, where we’re heading at right now?
It’s really easy to imagine considering how mobile design was changing through years getting more flat, straight and minimalistic. However, I realize that it’s not even remotely a probable scenario. This kind of approach doesn’t leave much space for innovations major vendors ship every year. But still, makes me wonder what kind of future we might find ourselves in 10 years from now.
