Lithium-ion, a revolutionary new battery technology being developed by researchers at the University of Illinois has the potential to extend battery life up to 2,000 times beyond what current batteries can provide.
Even with heavy use, your phone might go weeks or months between recharges.
There is also work in progress on kinetically charged batteries that use the energy of movement to keep the battery charged.
There is still a lot of life left in the current 4G mobile network, but when it does finally give way to 5G, the new network will offer superfast and efficient data transmission, possibly up to 100 times that of the fastest 4G, according to Huawei.
At those speeds, you could download a hi-definition feature film to your smartphone in less than a second.
Wi-Fi is also likely to become pervasive with the phasing in of new technologies such as Hotspot 2.0 and Next Generation that will allow you to stay in wireless contact almost anywhere you roam.
With several 3D models already on the market (LG Optimus 3D, Motorola MT810 and Samsung AMOLED 3D) it is not difficult to see this trend continuing in the short to medium term.
Beyond 3D screens, there is talk of holographic smartphone displays in the not-too-distant future.
Much of this will be here in the next five years. But how about ten years from now?
Some futurists are predicting LCD displays that you can have on your regular glasses or in contact lenses, enhanced virtual keyboards and voice control replacing physical keyboards and integrated miniature devices small enough to fit into watches and jewellery that never need charging.
As wild as it sounds, we may well eventually have direct mind control over the smartdevices that are integrated, even implanted with consent into our physical selves.
With smartphones morphing into powerful, multi-function computers that are moving closer to the centre of our lives, perhaps the biggest problem is not technological but psychological.
When the thought of being without your smartphone creates anxiety, it is time to switch it off and go for a walk in the forest or along the beach.
David Tuffley does not work for, consult to, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has no relevant affiliations.
This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.
