ISSUE 68 • ANDROID ADVISOR 113thousands of developers to dramatically rethink their
user interfaces for products that will likely be flashes
in the pan (or just plain panned).
Assuming it runs a version of the same Android
weknownow– whichseemslikelygivenSamsung’s
full-court One UI press – apps will need to be
completely retooled lest they look ridiculous. The
current versions of apps like Maps or Mail will
be nearly impossible to use, and typing will be a
nightmare. I don’t even want to think about games.
The future isn’t tall
It’s no secret that we’re at something of a crossroads
when it comes to smartphones. For the better part
of a decade, phones have been getting bigger,
with more screen, fewer buttons, and less bezel,
culminating in 6in-plus handsets that pick up
fingerprints as fast as they speed through tasks.
But as the new decade approaches, the way
forward for smartphones is less certain than ever.
There very well may be a new form factor on the
horizon that changes everything, like the iPhone did.
But we’re probably going to have to suffer through a
few stopgap designs before someone nails it.
In 2020, that may be the ultra-tall phone. Don’t
be surprised if it’s gone by 2021.