Everything in the world of technology has its cycles. But there are some that seem to be able to ride the crest of success indefinitely.
Until recently, smartphones seemed to be one of those. But pundits are now saying that after 10 years of mind-boggling, rapid-fire innovation (starting with the iPhone launch), the smartphone as a device may be reaching its limits in terms of wowing users.
The end of the road for smartphone innovation
This article from Reuters: The next big thing in phones might not be a phone, spells out why the smartphone evolution may finally be running its course. In the case of smartphones, the argument is that fresh breakthroughs are running up against the practical limits of what’s possible in the hardware (e.g. screen size, battery life, network capacity)
But if that is the case, it begs the question: what is taking its place? In this case, the author of the article argues that smartphones are giving way to new software and/or service-enabled devices, from cars and fridges to watches and jewelry.
Keeping up with changing perspectives key to innovation success
Ebbs and flows are the nature of the beast in the technology industry. From BlackBerry to AOL, we’ve seen the road littered with innovators that have reached the end of their chosen path. There are even rumblings that Apple’s latest product launches are leaving audiences somewhat underwhelmed when compared to previous ones
So what is the lesson to be learned from all this? As a technology innovator ourselves, we understand that Cel-Fi’s success relies on us constantly bringing new ideas, new capabilities, and new products to market that meet changing market needs. Every innovator in the market has to do the same thing to remain relevant in an evolving marketplace.
I won’t say it’s easy. But I will say we’re definitely on track and you can rest assured that we’re not even close to reaching our limits.
In our world, resting on your laurels is not an option.