It’s doubtful that anyone (except perhaps Steve Jobs) could have predicted how the introduction of the first iPhone in 2007 would fundamentally change the way human beings interact with our electronics. The iPhone led us all away from keyboards and spearheaded the mass adoption of touch technology.
What lies ahead with touch technology will likely continue to transform our lives in equally unimaginable ways. A 2014 Information Display report predicts that touch-module revenue will reach $36 billion by 2020, and with the progress being made in the space, that’s certainly feasible. The future is touchable, it’s interactive, and it’s pretty amazing. Here are my top predictions for how touch technology will reshape our world.
Touch technology will continue to get larger and take on new shapes.
Since touch screen technology was first widely made available in smartphones, the trend has always been for screen sizes to grow larger and lighter. That trend will continue as advances in technology and new materials are utilized for touch screens—including polycarbonate, high-tech glass, and more—enabling durable, ultra-responsive surfaces. As a result, we’re now able to envision touch in applications outside of our mobile devices, such as large-format touch panels and curved screens.
Emerging touch technologies will open new markets and product categories.
Perhaps the best part about exciting new touch applications is that they will become more affordable. With increased affordability as the fundamental assumption, a plethora of new market and product opportunities emerges. Innovative processes and technologies have led to significantly more cost-effective manufacturing. Take the example of projected capacitive (pro-cap) technology. Pro-cap offers superior performance and improved aesthetics compared to the stopgap infrared (IR) touch screen technology. The price of pro-cap will continue to decrease, fueling the replacement of IR, and lead to a rise in overall attainability for large touch screens in the next two to three years. Pro-cap is unaffected by light interferences, can be used easily both indoors and outdoors, and allows for edge-to-edge cover glass. That’s a huge coup in terms of design for multi-touch screens in the consumer space.
Touch will become the preferred way for people to interact with consumer devices.
Smartphones have become the most ubiquitous consumer electronic device, and the touch interface has increasingly become the preferred, intuitive, and natural way for consumers to interact with their devices. This preference for touch interfaces will lead to the integration of touch functionality in common home and work devices and appliances as well. Consumer applications such as interactive tabletops, mirrors, smart home, and IoT (Internet of Things) devices are not only possible, but also starting to gain traction in product development circles. Imagine a coffee table that displays a digital collage of family photos that can be resized and reorganized with the swipe of a finger. Or think of kitchen counters or refrigerator doors as touch displays, allowing users to view their favorite recipes, navigate and interact with the instructions and ingredient information via touch, scribble and save notes, and then email directly to a friend. Touch technology will increasingly play a role in such novel uses.
Retail will undergo a touch revolution.
As consumer devices become more interactive, they will open new possibilities in retail, transforming the way users make purchases—beyond their smartphones, tablets, and computers. Touch devices will allow consumers to buy goods and services directly by touching what they see on the display, whether it’s a television or interactive white goods. And swipe-and-shop capabilities won’t only influence consumer behavior, either; they will also alter how businesses sell their products, prompting advertisers and brands to reimagine how they appeal to their customers. If you thought those million-dollar Super Bowl ads were expensive before, just wait until each commercial enables direct purchase capabilities.
Touch devices will converge into education.
Touch technology isn’t merely about fun and entertainment; it’s about how its socialization aspect will shape our behavior. That includes education. Sophisticated, interactive devices will fundamentally change the way students learn, interact, and generate new ideas. Large touch screens in the classroom promote collaboration and increase engagement. So it’s not surprising that a recent Deloitte report forecasts that US spending on EdTech will reach $26.8B by 2018. Consider interactive whiteboards that support, say, 30 touch points. This will allow all students in a class to simultaneously participate in a given activity. Before clearing the screen, teachers can then quickly and easily capture the content and distribute it to students via email or simply save it for evaluation or lesson-planning purposes.
At the time of the first iPhone’s release, it was impossible to understand just how drastically its technology would alter our lives. The large-format multi-touch experience is still in its nascent stage, but with advanced technology nurturing it along, a new wave of transformative digital experiences and exponential growth are coming — and fast.
