From the phone slavery to the next addiction
3G networks were introduced in 2004 and their construction was slow due to the fact that there was really no need for a faster network. It wasn't until the first iPhone hit the market in 2007 that the IOS operating system created a platform on which external application developers started building services. Android phones followed immediately, copying the same logic in their own operating system. With the replacement of telephones, people switched from 2G to 3G connections and network construction gained momentum. The construction of the 4G network started rapidly in 2010 based on the same need. Now we are in the same situation with 5G as we were with 3G in the past, and time will tell if, for example, Metaverse (virtual reality) or web 3.0 (blockchains) is the next evolution that needs higher speeds and lower delays. 5G networks have been built with extensive coverage, but the construction of faster frequencies and a denser network has not really started. And I don't wonder about this at all, if there is no need, why invest.
It is also interesting to think about what the next revolution will be like, which will really create a boom similar to that of IOS and Android. Somehow it seems that the era of the phone itself is gradually over and it is necessary to switch to a more advanced user interface that does not force you to walk around in the sleet with the phone glued to your hand and your eyes directed at the phone. A phone's better camera or foldable screen feel like artificial respiration and the whole device cries out for reinvention. However, it's not just about the terminal device, but also about the platform or ecosystem, which enables something new, which is interesting, offers new usage situations and entices you to throw your current device into recycling.
During the morning dog walk, I thought that it would be convenient if I had such glasses (I've had them since I was 9 years old) that would tell me something about the real world while I move forward, following the dogs' message system, which to us humans only appears as yellow signs. For example, could the glasses tell me that that car is for sale and if I want more information or to buy it, it´s easy or that apartment is empty and the rent is 870 Eur/month and it has just been renovated and I can go to the virtual presentation via this link. Alternatively, it would be nice to know that the owner of that dog does not want the dog to be petted when it is a bit timid and on the other hand that man is looking for a work and he is a wizard at building apartments. And finally, watching the airplane fly overhead, I get a quote for a cheap holiday flight from the sleet to Spain.
Who would build a platform on which you could make applications, which would be useful and fun and which would free you from your phone? Is that Apple again or someone who believes on open ecosystems?
