Article
The Future of Smartphones and Devices – 311 Institute
In this 50 year horizon report, used by the world's largest smartphone manufacturers, I examine the future of the platform, what it could look like, and discuss what comes next.
Cite or link to this article
Griffin, M. (2023) 'The Future of Smartphones and Devices – 311 Institute', 311 Institute, 1 January. Available at: https://www.311institute.com/future-of-smartphones-and-devices/ (Accessed: 1 October 2026).
THE FUTURE OF SMARTPHONES
EVERY YEAR consumers around the world buy more than 1.5 Billion smartphones with approximately 60 percent of those sales coming from the world’s top five manufacturers, Apple, Huawei, Oppo, Samsung and Vivo, so it was my great privilege to be able to advise some of these manufacturers, as well as their high tech partners, such as Qualcomm, and join them on their journey to revolutionise the platform and, eventually, take it to the next level.
Last year, especially as we approached the launch of the iPhone 8 and iPhone X, there was a palpable sense of expectation from consumers and investors alike who were all looking forward to getting their hands on some of the hottest tech on the planet, packed with what they hoped would be ground breaking innovations. Unfortunately post launch most of that exuberance quickly faded and gave way to disappointment when consumers instead were presented with animated Emoji’s, Face ID and a raft of incremental innovations. And, if I'm honest, I shared that disappointment when I too took the leap and finally upgraded my legacy iPhone 6 to an iPhone X.
While I think Face ID is a neat time saving feature, frankly I can leave the rest. And that’s not what I, for one, expected from Apple, a company who has more cash in the bank than many sovereign countries. This then led some to question Apple’s innovation capabilities, while at the other end of the spectrum it led others to ask whether or not all the best smartphone innovations were behind us. However, fortunately I'm happy to say that, as I highlight in my report, they aren't.
It was with some gusto therefore that I was excited to be able to write the report you now see in front of you, and while this is the “public” version, and not the one submitted to the manufacturers, I hope it will show you that when it comes to innovation, and the future of the smartphone, we’re far from done. The exciting part, however, comes when we start looking at what will succeed it.
I hope you enjoy the report, and be sure to pop back because I’ll be updating it every couple of months with new technologies and new concepts as they emerge.
Explore more,
MATTHEW GRIFFIN.
Founder
FAQ
Why does this matter?
In this 50 year horizon report, used by the world's largest smartphone manufacturers, I examine the future of the platform, what it could look like, and discuss what comes next.
About the author
Matthew Griffin Founder, 311 Institute
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath."
Read full bio
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath." 15-time best selling author of the "Codex of the Future" series, Matthew is the Founder and Futurist in Chief of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm working with royal households, world leaders, G7, G20, and G77 governments, NGOs, and multi-national mid and mega cap firms to help them explore, shape, and lead the next 50 years of business and society.
An award-winning YouTube creator with over a million followers, with an unrivalled global reach and impact, Matthew is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker, lecturer, and mentor who collaborates with global leaders through the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to shape pivotal initiatives such as the UN’s AI for Humanity program, the United Nations Conference of the Parties (UN COP), and the World Economic Forum in Davos.
As the former Global Head of Cloud, National Security, and Enterprise Sales for companies including Atos, Dell-EMC, and IBM, Matthew has a proven track record of building multi-billion dollar business units and turning failing divisions into market leaders. His ability to identify, analyse, and communicate the implications of hundreds of emerging technologies and trends is unparalleled, and his insights are trusted by many of the world’s most respected organisations, including ABB, Accenture, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi, Coca-Cola, Dentons, Deloitte, Dow Jones, EY, Google, KPMG, Lego, Legal & General, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Qualcomm, RWE, Samsung, Siemens AG and Siemens Energy, T-Mobile, UBS, VISA, Walmart, Workday, Worldpay and many others.
Regularly featured in the global media including the AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, Forbes, Khaleej Times, Telegraph, TIME, ViacomCBS, WIRED, and the WSJ, Matthews mission is to help organisations create a fair and sustainable future whose benefits are shared by everyone irrespective of their ability, background, or circumstances.
What future do you need to see?
Choose one to get started on articles and the future of your organisation.
Source: first published by the 311 Institute on 1 January 2023. Cite as: Griffin, M. (2023). The Future of Smartphones and Devices – 311 Institute. 311 Institute. https://www.311institute.com/future-of-smartphones-and-devices/
You are welcome to quote this article with credit and a link to the original.