COVER SMARTPHONES
in the edge, simply because it would
take too long to pass the data from the
edge to the cloud.
“With the speed of 5G, more of
the computation can take place in the
cloud, enabling more applications to
send data to the cloud for processing.”
Consequently, with more data
available more advanced applications
that take advantage of data from more
dispersed applications will be possible.
“More data is exactly what AIapplications
hunger for, so we will see
more advanced applications that take
advantage of more data from more
applications,” said Svensson.
When it comes to future
applications, Imint is planning to
incorporate AI into object recognition
and object indexing technology.
Though not yet on the market, the
core technology has already been
developed.
“We just need to nd the right
application and partner to bring it to
market,” added Svensson.
Key trends
Among other key smartphone trends
are likely to be an up-take in the
availability of gaming and video
applications.
The Coronavirus pandemic has
certainly accelerated that trend
whereby there has been a shift from
console to mobile gaming and this
is expected to continue over the
coming year with the demand for more
powerful smartphones with gaming
capabilities expected to grow.
These types of smartphones
will need to provide high refresh
rate screens, use more powerful
processors, offer ultra-fast storage and
cooling capabilities.
The Snapdragon 888, for
example, already comes with variable
rate shading to improve gaming
performance in smartphones and new
smartphone models are expected
to deliver more of these types of
features.
But when it comes to gaming, for
example, users also need improved
audio that is capable of delivering
immersive sound and ultra-low latency
connectivity. In response, Qualcomm
has developed the aptX Adaptive audio
technology which is able to provide a
Bluetooth wireless solution that can
work across gaming, video and music
and has been designed to adjust
performance based on the environment
in which the user is using their
smartphone and responds differently
to what is being played on a device,
whether that’s video, music or gaming.
As Svensson explained, “Across
the board AI has a signicant role to
play when it comes to improving the
user experience and there are many
ways to improve that experience. One
specic use-case scenario that we
strongly believe in is the ability for
video to be utilized in a collaborative
environment, where multiple producers
provide their parts to a video. With AI
engines helping to identify the relevant
parts of different producers’ videos,
we foresee that producers will be able
to seamlessly merge these videos
to create a professional looking end
result.
“Imagine being at a football game
where hundreds of people are lming
from different angles. The ability to get
a video from all different angles of the
winning goal is something that many
would want.”
All these improvement will require
power and charging technologies are
evolving with fast-charging products
coming to market which can charge a
smartphone from zero to 50% in just a
matter of a few minutes.
While the technology is improving
there is a call for OEMs to make
this technology safer for the user,
minimising any potential safety
hazards and risks, while at the same
time providing an efcient and secure
charging experience.
A number of companies have
developed battery safety monitoring
chips that are capable of monitoring a
mobile phone in real time to see if it
has been damaged.
The smartphone market continues
to evolve rapidly but as consumer
demand continues to change, so
smartphone brands will need to come
up with newer and more innovative
technologies to meet changing market
requirements.
Below: AI has a role
to play in improving
collaborative video
experiences
12 9 March 2021 www.newelectronics.co.uk
/www.newelectronics.co.uk