There is no doubt that the past decade or so has been monumental for consumer mobile technology. The smartphone has dominated the conversation, as well as the industry, ever since the launch of the original iPhone back in 2007. However, in the evanescent world of technology, any device’s reign at the top can be very fleeting indeed. Through the march of technology and slowing growth of the smartphone, industry titans are now expanding into other ventures. Perhaps one of the most exciting and promising of these ventures are smart home devices and the inevitable ‘Internet of Things‘ revolution.
Industry and market interest in IoT is rising very swiftly. In fact, IoT spending is expected to top $1.4 trillion by 2021 as more and more companies realize the potential of the technology. Leading this new technological revolution is the device which acts as a kind of central hub for smart devices – the smart speaker.
The Amazon Echo smart speaker has been a runaway success, with the Google Home is also performing quite admirably. Now, smartphone giant Apple has also thrown their hat into the ring with the launch of the Apple HomePod, and others are expected to follow the suite as well. According to a survey, now almost a quarter of all smartphone owners in the US also own a smart home device as well. It seems like smart home devices are set to become ubiquitous in the near future. However, as hardware technology evolves, so must software and app design to keep up. Smart home devices are extremely varied in their make up and are fundamentally different from a smartphone. This means that the traditional app design philosophy doesn’t translate particularly well for smart device integration.
Let us have look at how the emergence of smart home devices is affecting mobile app design and engagement, as well as the many possible pitfalls and concerns regarding this burgeoning new enterprise.
|
It's A Free Read Already a subscriber? Log in here |
