Smartphones may disappear in five years, says study

Everything gets hackedMost smartphone users believe hacking and viruses will continue to be an issue.

Many consumers believe smartphones will cease to exist within five years, according to new research carried out by researchers on behalf of Ericsson.

The research lab surveyed 100,000 people across Sweden and 39 other countries. For example, 44 percent of those surveyed said they believe an AI system would be good as a teacher, and one-third said they’d like an AI interface to keep them company (a la Joaquin Phoenix’s Her).

Forty-six per cent of 16-to-19-year olds spend an hour or more on YouTube every day.AI ends the screen ageArtificial intelligence will enable interaction with objects without the need for a smartphone screen. Some 54 percent of smartphone users want sensors that optimize indoor air quality and, in five years, 66 percent think homes that use the Internet to regulate air quality, ventilation and windows will become the norm.

“Just imagine watching football and being able to choose where you want to see the game from different places in the stands, or perhaps even from the pitch. Shopping is also an area where you could [virtually] try on shoes and see how they fit on your own feet”. The broadest trend in the report is representative of 1.1 billion people across 24 countries, while the narrowest trend is representative of 46 million smartphone users in 10 major cities.

Michael Bjorn, head of research at Ericsson ConsumerLab, admits some of the trends may appear now as futuristic.

Bjorn adds, “Most of the services we are using now are actually online”. Streaming nativesTeenagers watch more YouTube video content daily compared with other age groups. As a result, the concept of smarthomes may need rethinking from the ground up. Other trends set to dominate the technology spectrum in the immediate future include enhanced lifestyle network trends, augmented and virtual reality, personalized commuting, smart housing, emergency chats, body sensors and the emergence of autonomous vehicles, and last but not least, prodigiously enhanced consumer power.

Some 65 percent of smartphone owners are interested in an emergency app that would alert them in a crisis or disaster and provide verified, rumor-free information.

That said, 21 per cent of consumers also said their trust in an organization is increased when it successfully resolves a problem after being hacked or infected.