CCS Insight predicts that within the next five years, manufacturers will start offering phones with "self-healing" displays. This could be made possible by adding a nano-coating to the surface of the display that would use a reactive material to fill in scratches and imperfections when exposed to air.
By 2028, analyst firm CCS Insight predicts that the market could start seeing smartphones with displays capable of mending themselves. In their roundup of tech predictions for 2024 and beyond, CCS Insight laid out their expectations for five years in the future, claiming that smartphone companies could be manufacturing devices with "self-healing" displays. According to Wood, the reality of this breakthrough is more plausible than fiction, although he cautions against overestimating its application. LG has already been experimenting with such technology since 2013, releasing their G Flex phone with a curved screen and a coating on the back cover that could supposedly repair itself.
People are developing new technologies that could allow smartphones to sort out minor cosmetic damage without manual intervention. Wood commented to CNBC that this doesn't refer to smashed screens magically coming back together. Companies such as Motorola and Apple have patented self-healing materials for phone screens. Nevertheless, this technology hasn't yet been put into use in a successful handset. A lot of research and development is necessary to identify the new innovations in phone screens, as well as the investment of money to market and sell them in bulk and make sure buyers understand what type of damages can be self-repaired. Wood humorously worries that testers like JerryRigsEverything will try to sever these phones with a knife, while emphasizing that this isn't the purpose of these self-healing gadgets. Companies are increasingly coming up with new display technologies, such as Motorola's rollable concept smartphone. Samsung has also advanced to the point where its folding phones can be folded hundreds of thousands of times.
CCS Insight has projected that HTC, which was a pioneering force in the early days of the smartphone industry, will depart from the virtual reality realm by 2026. Notable models created by HTC such as the Hero, Legend, Desire and One redefined design and performance of Android phones. However, the Taiwanese firm eventually sold off its cellphone business to Google in 2017, and the search engine giant went on to promote its Pixel range of products as well as its Nest family of smart home solutions.
HTC has made a major bet on the convergence of virtual and physical realities, and in January, they released the Vive XR Elite -- a compact headset designed for gaming, workouts, and productivity -- with a $1,099 price tag. According to the prediction of CCS Insight, however, HTC will soon join Meta, Sony, and the newly-arrived Apple in exiting the VR market due to decreasing revenue and fierce competition. Wood of CCS Insight commented that "HTC was an early innovator in VR, though their reluctance to reduce prices has put them at a disadvantage against Meta and its Quest line, whose ultra-low prices are nearly cost-based in order to encourage adoption." He continued, "The introduction of Apple may temporarily improve the situation for HTC, but we believe they're unlikely to maintain their presence in the field beyond 2026, and we anticipate they will instead sell their IP to larger competitors."
CCS Insight forecasts that Apple will take steps to increase its direct control over the second-hand smartphone market, so as to counteract the boost in demand for used phones and protect sales of new iPhones. Options might include encouraging customers to trade in their phones with Apple, rather than third-party marketplaces like PCS Wireless; providing carriers with credits to take in existing phones in exchange for acquiring new iPhones; or implementing a system to give 'verified' ratings to refurbished iPhones, as part of a larger trend towards devices that can be reused and repaired to reduce electronic waste. According to CCS Insight, iPhone currently accounts for around 80% of the structured secondary smartphone sector.
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