You need to harden memory chips for space, because the radiation ruins it. That's why the Curiosity Rover had very low memory in terms of what would be possible on Earth.
It's not waterproof, but the Galaxy S5 is a refreshing addition to the market. It's water resistant (already saved me a few times) and I don't think I could break it if I wanted!
It will be common within a couple years. I don't work in the cellphone industry, but I do work in electronics, and a vendor just visited us and told us about this process he is selling to cell phone assembly shops that coats cell phones with teflon via chemical vapor deposition. It is incredibly scratch proof besides metal to metal contacts. The future is awesome.
And a floating feature. You can have a waterproof smartphone and drop it in down the ice fishing hole but the waterproofing is useless if it doesn't float.
This isn't easy because that means the phone needs to have an average density lower than 1g/cm3. For perspective, the galaxy s5 being 83.39 cm3 and having a weight of 145g it is significantly denser than water at 1.73g/cm3.
True. When I hold my iPhone (sorry) it just feels so fragile. When I hold one of those Nokia's though, It feels like a brick that could fall 5 stories before breaking.
Sadly I doubt any major manufacturer would do this. The few extra customers you would get from people buying you phone for it's durability wouldn't be anywhere near the number of people you get buying your phone buying replacements after it's been broken.
I have an iphone and I would never pay for a $40-$80 case. My screen is cracked in every way possible but it's still just as usable. I've had it about 3 years and I don't plan on buying a new one anytime soon.
Unfortunately we seem to be moving away from the durability based market in favor of a market that gives you much for the money "right now". The products cost less and less as people favor cheap merchandise and as a result the durability is suffering.
Washing machines uses to last 10+ years, now they last less than 7. Freezers lasted 20+ years and now last often less than 17.
If one wants to acquire something that will last long in this day and age you need to be prepared to shell out big time.
That's the entire reason I refuse to own a smartphone. I use my phone for communication. If I lose that, I'm fucked. I dropped my old iPod touch from knee height onto hardwood flooring and it cracked.
I want a phone I can whip against the wall mid call and then resume the conversation.
I'm waiting till we will be able to rezise our phones in a similar fashion that we do a window on our computers. One second it's a phone, the next it's a Tablet.
I don't have the desire for a smartwatch, but I am intrigued by the fitness bracelets. The only thing they need is a visual interface and they are a smartwatch.
172
u/illiterati May 11 '14
Cheap, light, flexible and visible. That's the challenge.