CCS Insight predicts that smartphone makers will start producing smartphones with self-repairing screens within five years. They will use nano-coatings on the surface of the screen that, if scratched, will create a new material that reacts when exposed to air.
It’s not science fiction, but the biggest challenge is setting expectations correctly, says CCS Insight analyst Ben Wood. “We’re not talking about screens that shatter and magically heal. These are just minor scratches.”
Companies have been talking about smartphone screens that can repair themselves for years. LG has been talking about self-healing technology in smartphones since 2013. The G Flex has a curved screen and a self-healing coating on the back, but LG hasn’t explained how it works in detail.
In 2017, Motorola filed a patent for a screen made from “shape memory polymer” that could repair itself when cracked. The idea was to use heat to seal the cracks. Meanwhile, Apple has also filed a patent for a foldable iPhone with a screen cover that could repair itself when damaged.
Still, no commercially successful self-repairing product has been developed. There are also many barriers to launching such a phone. For example, companies need to invest heavily in R&D to find new improvements to smartphone screens.
They also need money to bring the product to market and sell it in large volumes, as well as ensure that they provide customers with the right information about the extent of damage that the machine can repair itself without any manual intervention.
Phone makers are getting more and more creative when it comes to display technology. Motorola showed off a rollable smartphone at MWC 2023. Samsung has also gone a long way in the smartphone game with advanced displays with the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Z Flip 5, which can be folded and unfolded hundreds of thousands of times over their lifetime.
Apple controls the used phone market
In addition, CCS Insight also predicts that Apple will seek to directly control the used smartphone market more. This is to prevent the development of old phones from affecting new iPhone sales.
Apple could do this by encouraging users to trade in their old phones directly from the company instead of going through third parties, or by asking carriers to turn in their old phones for credit, offsetting the price of a new iPhone.
In addition, “Apple” can also focus on a verification system to evaluate refurbished iPhones to encourage quality old devices. The technology industry is moving towards “circular” products, which can be repaired and resold to avoid electronic waste.
CCS Insights estimates that the iPhone accounts for about 80% of the organized secondary phone market.
(According to CNBC)
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