Andy Rubin: The Future of Mobile

It's only been a couple years since I originally linked to this piece by Andy Rubin and while good thinking is always worth repeating, it's interesting to see how much of his vision, given the frenetic pace of mobile development, is already coming true.

Here is part of what he wrote in 2008:

Project out these trends another ten years. You will be carrying with you, 24x7 (a recent study of Chinese mobile customers showed that the majority of them sleep within a meter of their phones), a very powerful, always connected, sensor-rich device. And the cool thing is, so will everyone else. So what are you going to do with it that you aren't doing now? Here are some possibilities:

Smart alerts: Your phone will be smart about your situation and alert you when something needs your attention.

Augmented reality: Your phone uses its arsenal of sensors to understand your situation and provide you information that might be useful.

Crowd sourcing goes mainstream: Your phone is your omnipresent microphone to the world, a way to publish pictures, emails, texts, Twitters, and blog entries. When everyone else is doing the same, you have a world where people from every corner of the planet are covering their experiences in real-time.

Sensors everywhere: Your phone knows a lot about the world around you. If you take that intelligence and combine it in the cloud with that of every other phone, we have an incredible snapshot of what is going on in the world right now.

Tool for development: Your phone may be more than just a convenience, it may be your livelihood. Already, this is true for people in many parts of the world: in southern India, fishermen use text messaging to find the best markets for their daily catch ...

The future-proof device: Your phone will open up, as the Internet already has, so it will be easy for developers to create or improve applications and content

Safer software through trust and verification: Your phone will provide tools and information to empower you to decide what to download, what to see, and what to share.

While I believe that hardware as the dominant feature is dead, I can't yet imagine a future where manufacturers design products that are future proof beyond the normal 2yr mobile contract cycle - nor do I share his enthusiasm for auto-approved software updates.

The future of mobile

Also: I, Robot: The Man Behind the Google Phone and Designing Products Your Customers' Customers Will Love.

Andy Rubin: The Future of Mobile

It's only been a couple years since I originally linked to this piece by Andy Rubin and while good thinking is always worth repeating, it's interesting to see how much of his vision, given the frenetic pace of mobile development, is already coming true. Here is part of what he wrote in 2008: Project out these trends another ten years. You will be carrying with you, 24x7 (a recent study of Chinese mobile customers showed that the majority of them sleep within a meter of their phones), a very powerful, always connected, sensor-rich device. And the cool thing is, so will everyone else. So what are you going to do with it that you aren't doing now? Here are some possibilities: Smart alerts: Your phone will be smart about your situation and alert you when something needs your attention. Augmented reality: Your phone uses its arsenal of sensors to understand your situation and provide you information that might be useful. Crowd sourcing goes mainstream: Your phone is your omnipresent microphone to the world, a way to publish pictures, emails, texts, Twitters, and blog entries. When everyone else is doing the same, you have a world where people from every corner of the planet are covering their experiences in real-time. Sensors everywhere: Your phone knows a lot about the world around you. If you take that intelligence and combine it in the cloud with that of every other phone, we have an incredible snapshot of what is going on in the world right now. Tool for development: Your phone may be more than just a convenience, it may be your livelihood. Already, this is true for people in many parts of the world: in southern India, fishermen use text messaging to find the best markets for their daily catch ... The future-proof device: Your phone will open up, as the Internet already has, so it will be easy for developers to create or improve applications and content Safer software through trust and verification: Your phone will provide tools and information to empower you to decide what to download, what to see, and what to share. While I believe that hardware as the dominant feature is dead, I can't yet imagine a future where manufacturers design products that are future proof beyond the normal 2yr mobile contract cycle - nor do I share his enthusiasm for auto-approved software updates. The future of mobile Also: I, Robot: The Man Behind the Google Phone and Designing Products Your Customers' Customers Will Love.