October 16, 2023
- According to CSS Insights, within 5 years, self-healing smartphone displays could fully dominate the market.
- For a number of years now, several businesses have been making investments and creating solutions of their own so that smartphone screens can be fixed automatically.
The highly-regarded analyst firm CCS has made waves with a futuristic forecast that anticipates the emergence of self-healing smartphone displays by 2028. This striking revelation was recently unveiled as part of their highly anticipated “Top Tech Predictions for 2024 and Beyond.”
CCS suggested a solution by highlighting that the incorporation of a revolutionary nanocoating on mobile display surfaces holds the key to making this technological leap. Essentially, when a smartphone’s screen is scratched, the “nano-coating” reacts upon exposure to air, effectively initiating an automatic screen repair process.
Chief Analyst Ben Wood says, “This is not in the realms of science fiction; it can be done.” He further adds, “I think the biggest challenge with this is setting expectations correctly.” He also mentioned that “There’s some new technologies that people are working on right now that look as though this could become something that people have another go with. We’re not talking about smashed screens miraculously coming back. This is all just little cosmetic scratches.” He also jokingly mentioned that he fears tech teardown enthusiasts like Jerry Riigs, who take a knife to test the self-healing capabilities. He says that this is not the point of self-healing displays. Rather, it’s about technology that can make minimum repairs to surfaces of its own accord.
CCS insights have also predicted that the hype around generative AI will experience a “cold shower” in 2024 as the costs, market risks, and complexities may start to hit the companies. Also, the EU legislation aimed at regulating AI will be delayed and restructured many times since the technology is evolving rapidly.
Benefits:
- Lots of Savings: Replacing a smartphone screen can be costly. Thus, such phones could really be beneficial in the long run, as they would be durable and immune to drops and shatters.
- New Design Possibilities: Self-healing screens may make it possible to create flexible or foldable cell phones. This might increase the portability and usability of cell phones.
- Reduced Environmental Impact: Electronic waste is produced when a smartphone screen is replaced. Self-healing smartphone displays have the potential to lessen this impact on the environment by prolonging the life of smartphones.
Challenges:
- Making the Self-Healing Material Strong and Durable Enough to Protect the Smartphone Screen: Compared to conventional display materials like glass, self-healing materials are frequently softer and more malleable. They are therefore more vulnerable to harm. It could be difficult for researchers to create self-healing materials that are robust and long-lasting enough to shield smartphone screens.
- Ensuring That the Self-Healing Process Does Not Degrade the Quality of the Display: Certain self-healing mechanisms have the potential to harm the display or gradually reduce its brightness or clarity. Though it is difficult, researchers must create self-healing mechanisms that preserve the display’s quality.
- Making Self-Healing Displays Affordable to Manufacture: The cost of producing self-healing materials is typically higher than that of conventional display materials. Due to this, self-healing smartphones can cost more than conventional smartphones.
Additionally, one product’s market could really die down if self-healing smartphone displays take over the market in the coming 5 years. This product is “Gorilla Glass”. Currently, the news says that the smartphone cover glass market is booming massively by 2030, with an updated CAGR of 7.37%. However, this growth could be severely hindered if this invention fully dominates the market.
As we count down the days to this technological revolution, one thing is certain: The evolution of smartphones is on the cusp of an extraordinary transformation, setting the stage for a more resilient, user-friendly, and efficient mobile experience for all.
Also Read: Will the foldable smartphones disrupt the market and whether people buy them?
