Too Many Smartphones?

Despite the constant hype about the forthcoming iPhone 6, wearables and other smart devices, some are beginning to wonder where this will all end. How many smart devices does one person need? When will society tire of being told they need a new phone everything month because theirs is no longer ‘cool’? Back in 2013, Forbes posted an article suggesting the end of the “Smartphone boom”:

Apple’s Uh-Oh Moment: The Great Smartphone Boom Is About To End

No market grows forever, even one like smartphones that has been driving tens of billions of dollars in revenues for years now. But last year, some forecasters, such as Bill Whyman at International Strategy & Investment, started predicting that smartphone sales would soon peak. …

Now, over a year later, the industry still seems to be doing just fine – but Apple has definitely followed some of the steps outlined in that article. How long will it continue? Interestingly, even before 2013 some people were already tired of the speed at which the smartphone industry felt it had to move. This article from 2012 suggested that contract-free phones were the way of the future – a concept that a few carriers are only now beginning to put into action:

Upgrade Insanity: Why There Are Too Many Smartphones–and How That Hurts Consumers

You just got the latest and greatest smartphone–one with a gigantic display and a dual-core processor. For three months, you’re the happiest geek in town. Then an almost identical phone comes out, for the same price, …

I’m not a philosopher. I really don’t know what this all means. But I do know that I personally find the constant hype about the newest smartphone to be getting a bit old. After awhile, everything sounds the same. So I’ll close with an amusing representation of the situation from my favorite webcomic:

Image Credit

Too Many Smartphones? was first seen on www.michelle-chin.com.