The evolution of smartphones is not comparable to other technologies. In some ways, it is more like having flying cars and daily flights with them to the moon.
It is as if many electronic devices, books, and magazines have replaced with several icons on one page. Weightless with no dimension.
It is also artistic in the way it works: You touch an icon and get a service- e.g., camera or GPS
On software, smartphones are of two categories:
Computing and Communication (cellphone, messaging and social networking apps)
Computing unit applications such as camera and GPS are efficient and user friendly. Yet, communication unit subsets are powerful, but uncoordinated. Because, except cellular sector, which always had a strict international trustee (ITU), the rest of communication apps have developed separately and with no cooperation and coordination by distinct companies.
Every day, many free applications fascinate us as users with different tastes. Besides our favorite apps, extra platforms for some friends may need. This also increases the number of applications on the device.
Now add these total apps to the complexity and variety of common services like Call, Chat, Tweet, Tag, Link, Like, Video, Text, and more that we daily need. You will see why and how far we have gone from the simplicity and beauty of “one touch and reach the destination”.
Let’s review the steps we take on an ordinary chat or social contact. Notice the waste of time and distraction:
1. You have to remember which network your contact is active on (Technology has not helped us in this field so far!)
2. Tap the app icon and run desired platform
3. Search for your contact name in the contact list (or history page)
4. Open the profile or chat page of your contact
5. Recall which media format is best for this contact (callback option may help here)
6. Finally, tap the action button
That is the boring scenario we repeat many times a day. When technology uses artificial intelligence for self-driving cars, do we deserve to endure all these repetitive movements, time-consuming processes, loss of energy, and mental distractions?
Definitely not! But how can we avoid it?
While the general perception of smartphones is the continuation of the evolution of cellphones, but it is not. In the current structure, these powerful and versatile devices have the least communication role.
The only survivors of mobile phones from the world’s largest network of 5 billion people are phone and SMS. But neither Android nor iPhone still do not accept these powerful pairs as one service. While “Phone” and “Messages” are only two paths to access one person. So, why they insist on considering two icons for these?
Likewise, when we know Messenger, WhatsApp, Facebook or Instagram are only more routes to access the same person, can we bundle them too?
The answer would be yes, if we pay most attention to the common factor: People, not the routes. A simple point that can transform telecommunications interactions in cellphones.
Good; let’s now see how we can put in place it.
Only one essential item is sufficient;
In all communication programs with a two-way nature, prioritize people, not services.
What will that do for us?
All telecommunication apps connect us to our friends in their contact list. A list that is specific to the same app. Other apps have other lists, and our friends with different IDs scattered among them.
If we concentrate on our friends and establish a general list of all them, we can link their programs as well. We can then use them as one multi-option app.
This converts the recently reviewed 6-step connection into 2-step:
1. Pick your target person by name or photo (or speech)
2. Tap one available path on the screen and that’s it. You will connect right away.
This is a huge difference. With just a single shift in perspective and without losing any points.
All facilities remain intact. Phone, text, email, instant messaging, social media, location, or event apps are still there, but you don’t need to follow their steps anymore. You only need to deal with one repetitive task: Pick your contact and press a button. No matter which app you are using.
The master contact list can also create a master history page. Therefore, you don’t need to open all the apps one by one to check your interactions on different platforms.
This simple change, pioneers for an organic version of today’s advanced communications. In the ideal mode, everything will be even easier. For example, SMS, Fax, Email or other chat apps will replace by one text channel only.
This can save us time, rest our fingertips, create less distraction and increase our focus.
The idea is still novel, and a startup named TellyFon has recently implemented it. You can check it out and have a genuine experience. It is pretty easy, like a game of substituting “who then how” instead of “how then who”. (Disclaimer: I am one of the founders)
To calculate impact, we have no specific scale, but if this move will help every smartphone user save only one second a day (which is tens of times more in practice), it will save around 5 billion seconds a day worldwide. Equivalent to the marvelous figure of:
158 years of saving every day!
More than saving time, it can also give our fingertips more rest, less distraction, and improve our concentration. Although these variables are not readily detectable, they have beneficial effects on our everyday lives.
