TECHNOLOGY FOR CHANGE

Six Technologies That Could Leapfrog Apple's iPhone

R. Colin Johnson | Date: 01-06-10 | Comments

The Google Nexus One lacks the features needed to make that jump, so here are six innovations that would give a smartphone an edge over all competitors, including the iPhone.

Yesterday's ho-hum Google Nexus One announcement was nothing more that yet another iPhone clone (with the exception of a small trackball.) Here are six ways to make a smarter phone that leapfrogs the iPhone with genuine innovations that would not be just another me-too.

Modularity

The No. 1 priority for phone makers should be modularity. Users should be able to specify just the hardware components that they need in their personalized phone, rather than be forced to accept phones with 100 features of which they only use eight or nine. Modular construction should enable phone users to specify their unique set of hardware features, then snap them together.

Display Variety

Mobile phone users should be able to specify what kind of display they want. Some users will want an ultra-low-power electrophoretic display from E-Ink, which sacrifices color for battery lifetimes measured in weeks, instead of hours. Alternatively users should be able to specify a Mirasol display that can be read in direct sunlight, or a colorful organic LED or just a traditional LCD display.

Fold-Out Displays

Fold-out display technologies�either over-under like the Nintendo DS or side by side with two extra panels that fold outward to make the display area triple-wide. The over-under configuration could make both displays touch screens, so a keyboard could be displayed on the bottom one (when needed).

Gyroscopes for All

Micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) chips housing gyroscopes should be installed in every smartphone that has an accelerometer chip today (STMicro makes a chip that houses both an accelerometer and a gyroscope). Gyroscopes enable ultra-fine motion tracking, compared with accelerometers, as well as dead-reckoning that can track your location on a map even when inside buildings.

Pico-Projectors

Pico-sized MEMS chips can also project a large display on the wall or the piece of paper in front of you. Pico-projector modules should be available that snap onto your phone for instant presentations, instead of drawing on a napkin.

Gesture Recognition

Several technologies are available today for recognizing in-air gestures, including technologies that add an optical sensor layer to your touch screen, or that use infrared signals to detect hand movements in 3D.