14 DAY TRIAL // Today's smartphone can do a lot of things, even more than what desktop PCs can, and it seems that they might be capable of even more of them in the not too far future.
High-end smartphones are now capable of showing you your location, and also pack a series of sensors that include accelerometer, proximity, light, and the like.
However, it seems that these are only but a small part of what can be included inside smartphones, and that future devices might be capable of doing so much more.
Applications that will offer smartphone users the possibility to monitor their heart rate are already available, and might soon be integrated into devices, along with the sensor to make them usable.
Mobile ECG machines are already available, and some sort of a sensor than can be included in a handset and which could sense any heart abnormalities and call the doctor could soon make it inside smartphones.
Moreover, these small devices that we are already dependent on might arrive on shelves with smoke detector sensors, since the feature has been under development for almost a decade.
“In 2003 Romanian inventors, Marian Gavrila and Garbriel Patulea designed a prototype with a sensor that spotted a change, and either sounded and alarm or linked directly to the emergency services,” a recent post on Nokia Conversations reads.
Carbon monoxide detection is another capability that smartphones might include in the not too distant future. It might be complemented by pollution and C02 emissions monitoring in urban areas.
Moreover, future devices might be on their way to the market with barometers, as well as with thermometers.
Not to mention that biometric phone sensors might be included with them to increase the security users benefit from.
“Imagine an app that used facial recognition software, or an iris scan, to confirm your identity. Bank of America and Heathrow Airport already use it, but would the technology be a help or a hindrance on a cell phone?” the said blog post continues.
Identity fraud is a major concern these days, and biometric sensors could help in this area, that's for sure. Some other aforementioned sensors could also prove great addition to devices, though thing will certainly not materialize in commercially available products in the next few years.