9 awesome features smartphones still don't have
Phones are still missing a few features that would make them even better.
This
last week we've seen so many phones. So. Many. Phones. From Samsung,
HTC, Nokia, Sony, Motorola, and the most talked about smartphone release
from Apple is still yet to come. But they're all still missing a few
features that would make them even better.
These phones have been adorned with impressive screens, upgraded pixels, and inexplicably shaped edges, sure. But what's still on our wish list? We asked you last week, and you responded in droves. Some answers were predictable, some forward thinking, and others flirting with science fiction. But hey, dream big.
Better Batteries
This tops our list, and was pretty much a universal ask. If you think about what our phones can do now, it seems ludicrous that we still can't eke out a full day on a single charge. Of course battery technology has scaled with smartphone performance, but the outcomes are still pretty similar. Some of you weren't asking for much, maybe just the whole weekend on a single charge (seems reasonable!), which you can already come close to on a Droid Maxx. But others were getting a little more greedy. Weeklong batteries are still a ways off, and most likely will be for quite awhile.
Faster Charging
For what it's worth, Samsung claims that its new fast-charging battery on the Note 4 can go from completely dead to 50 percent in 30 minutes. It's not 30 seconds, but it's a start!
One Wireless Charging Standard
Universal standards for everything, really, but wireless charging seems like our best bet since it's still unsettled territory. The good news is, we're getting closer! But we still have PMA vs. Qi wireless charging standards now, and that's before Apple announces its wireless iWatch solution next week. This might be a pipe dream.
Weirder Charging
Maybe we should just reimagine how we charge things in general. Integrating solar glass into smartphones would be pretty cool alternative to the whole lightning connector/microUSB thing. Kinectic charging, phones that charge while you walk, wouldn't be too bad either. Or hey, why not both?
Universal Translator
Science fiction? Yes. Universal, real-time translators and babel fishes have littered the genre for decades. As for having them on our phones, Skype Translator is working on a solution, and Google can get you pretty far in a lot of circumstances.
Mass Ruggedization
Waterproofing is starting to gain some traction, but what if every phone was basically invincible? Or at least able to withstand some a toilet plunge or a decent-height drop. Hopefully soon our all of our pocket computers will be adequately protected against the elements and our own clumsiness.
Pico Projectors
You can get these as an add-on already, but built-in would be a huge perk, especially for the business set.
This Picture
Why not?
James Bond Spy Features
You know, just... all of it. Especially anything with lasers.
These phones have been adorned with impressive screens, upgraded pixels, and inexplicably shaped edges, sure. But what's still on our wish list? We asked you last week, and you responded in droves. Some answers were predictable, some forward thinking, and others flirting with science fiction. But hey, dream big.
Better Batteries
This tops our list, and was pretty much a universal ask. If you think about what our phones can do now, it seems ludicrous that we still can't eke out a full day on a single charge. Of course battery technology has scaled with smartphone performance, but the outcomes are still pretty similar. Some of you weren't asking for much, maybe just the whole weekend on a single charge (seems reasonable!), which you can already come close to on a Droid Maxx. But others were getting a little more greedy. Weeklong batteries are still a ways off, and most likely will be for quite awhile.
Faster Charging
For what it's worth, Samsung claims that its new fast-charging battery on the Note 4 can go from completely dead to 50 percent in 30 minutes. It's not 30 seconds, but it's a start!
One Wireless Charging Standard
Universal standards for everything, really, but wireless charging seems like our best bet since it's still unsettled territory. The good news is, we're getting closer! But we still have PMA vs. Qi wireless charging standards now, and that's before Apple announces its wireless iWatch solution next week. This might be a pipe dream.
Weirder Charging
Maybe we should just reimagine how we charge things in general. Integrating solar glass into smartphones would be pretty cool alternative to the whole lightning connector/microUSB thing. Kinectic charging, phones that charge while you walk, wouldn't be too bad either. Or hey, why not both?
Universal Translator
Science fiction? Yes. Universal, real-time translators and babel fishes have littered the genre for decades. As for having them on our phones, Skype Translator is working on a solution, and Google can get you pretty far in a lot of circumstances.
Mass Ruggedization
Waterproofing is starting to gain some traction, but what if every phone was basically invincible? Or at least able to withstand some a toilet plunge or a decent-height drop. Hopefully soon our all of our pocket computers will be adequately protected against the elements and our own clumsiness.
Pico Projectors
You can get these as an add-on already, but built-in would be a huge perk, especially for the business set.
This Picture
Why not?
James Bond Spy Features
You know, just... all of it. Especially anything with lasers.
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