The Future of Smartphones: An AI-Powered Revolution
According to Carl Pei, co-founder of OnePlus and Nothing, the future of smartphones is set to undergo a significant transformation. In a recent interview with WIRED magazine, Pei shared his vision for the industry, highlighting the need for creativity and innovation in the face of corporate stagnation. As reported by Phone Arena, Pei’s insights offer a glimpse into a future where smartphones are powered by artificial intelligence (AI) and operating systems (OS) that learn and adapt to individual users.
Pei believes that larger companies, such as Apple, have become too corporate and lost their creative edge. This, he argues, presents an opportunity for smaller, more agile companies like Nothing to make a significant impact. As Phone Arena reported, Pei’s company remains committed to creativity and innovation, as evident in a leaked memo from earlier this year. In the memo, Pei wrote that 2025 would "introduce breakthrough innovations in user interface, taking our first step toward an AI-powered platform."
The goal, according to Pei, is to create a device that provides a better user experience, much like the iPod did for music listeners. He envisions a future where the smartphone is the primary device for AI, surpassing wearables like smart glasses. As quoted in the Phone Arena article, Pei said, "So, our strategy is not to make big claims that AI is going to change the world and revolutionize smartphones. For us, it’s about using it to solve a consumer problem, not to tell a big story. We want the product to be the story."
Pei’s vision for the future of smartphones is one where the device evolves into a single-app OS, optimized for each user and capable of learning their habits and preferences. In this future, users will simply turn on their phone, and it will suggest what they want to do, then do it automatically. As Phone Arena reported, Pei explained, "Right now, you have to go through a step-by-step process of figuring out for yourself what you want to do, then unlocking your smartphone and going through it step by step. In the future, your phone will suggest what you want to do and then do it automatically for you. So it will be agentic and automated and proactive."
While this vision may seem ambitious, Pei acknowledges that it may take 7 to 10 years to become a reality. The reason, he cites, is that people have grown accustomed to using apps, and companies like Apple and Google still generate significant revenue from app sales and subscriptions. As the Phone Arena article noted, regulatory efforts in the EU and US aim to change the tech firms’ payment processing platforms, but it remains to be seen whether this will lead to a significant shift in the industry.
As the smartphone industry continues to evolve, Carl Pei’s insights offer a compelling glimpse into a potential future. While it may take time for this vision to become a reality, it is clear that companies like Nothing are pushing the boundaries of innovation and creativity. As reported by Phone Arena, Pei’s voice is one that warrants attention, and his ideas may just shape the future of smartphones.
