Let’s face it: Tech conferences are like the Oscars for gadget geeks. We’re dazzled by ultra-thin phones, screens that wrap around our wrists like origami masterpieces, and see-through laptops that look like they were ripped straight out of a sci-fi movie. But here’s the thing: most futuristic concepts never see the light of day.
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Forget about labeling everything with AI for a moment (Samsung even tried it with SD cards), because you can at least buy the normal AI-powered stuff with buzzword titles.us always Seeing as phones, laptops, and crazy wearables will never be sold, even if someone really wants them.
Why do companies keep showing off these “concepts” if they have no intention of actually selling them? Buckle up, because this is all about hype, testing the waters, and sometimes just showing off.
The hype machine is real. These concept phones have attracted a lot of attention. The news media went crazy, social media exploded, and suddenly everyone was talking about Brand X’s revolutionary new idea. This is free marketing, pure and simple.Even if the product never comes out, people are likely to remember the brand and association with cutting-edge technology able valuable.
Sometimes these concept phones are like throwing spaghetti at the wall and seeing what sticks. Companies use them to gauge public interest in certain features. Remember the phone with a curved screen that never appeared? These ideas became the curved-edge displays we all hate, but are also used in foldable phones.crazy concept able Spark discussions and help companies identify the features consumers really want and get a head start on making them.
Finally, there is the ego factor. In the competitive world of technology, companies like to flex their muscles. Presenting an exciting concept is the equivalent of saying, “Look what our amazing engineers can do!” It’s a demonstration of technical prowess and a way to stand out from the competition.
So what’s the problem? Here’s the thing: Eventually, this strategy backfires. When companies keep putting these impossible-to-obtain gadgets in front of us, it makes us frustrated and bored. We get so hyped about features that never materialize, and the phones that actually come out feel like watered-down versions of the original concepts.
So what should phone manufacturers do?
Think about what we just saw at Mobile World Congress, specifically two things that every tech news site (including Android Central) reported on: a flexible, wearable plastic phone from Motorola that works as The wristband is worn; a laptop from Lenovo that has a transparent screen and a touch keyboard, just like the one on your phone.
You probably don’t want a heavy phone that feels like a bracelet on your wrist. It also gets scratched, and as my colleague Michael Hicks pointed out, it will become a magnet for thieves who can stick it off your wrist.
Likewise, a laptop with a transparent screen is a nightmare for anyone using a laptop. Everything behind the display continues to glow, move, or otherwise distract, and everyone can see exactly what you’re looking at and what you’re typing. I won’t even comment on the productivity of using a touchscreen keyboard.
These concepts may generate useful ideas. Those ones This is what Motorola and Lenovo should show us. Phone makers can (and will) do whatever they like, but I think there’s a better way: focus on innovation that’s actually achievable.
Keep experimenting in faraway labs to see if you can make something like a bracelet-style wearable phone, but show us something closer to something we can buy. Perfect existing technology instead of chasing daydreams.
If a company feels it must show the world an idea, be transparent about which features are concepts and which will be coming to a phone near you. Maybe, just maybe, a truly groundbreaking phone that lives up to its name will surprise us.
At the end of the day, we, the consumers, deserve better. Yes, we should have phones that are innovative, but also practical and, dare I say it, real. Hopefully the tech world will take notice and get off the rails before the hype completely derails.