We thought that innovating was the way but we were very wrong

Recently reflected on the future iPhone 17 Air. Something hides this phone that I do not understand, since trying to sell an iPhone simply thinner as the main novelty of 2025 does not finish quadrar. Nor does the Galaxy S25 Edgean ultradelgated S25 future that, according to the photos, will have a hardware even lower than that of its brothers.

The point is that, a few years ago, we imagined that mobiles would not have ports and would be very futuristic. None of this has happened. We have the same as in those years we dreamed, but with Less Bevel and Best hardware. I am not sure where the mobiles will go in the coming years, but I am quite clear where they will not go.

Ports and buttons elimination. If something is making clear the industry is that this future iPhone “without buttons or ports” (We talked about him in 2018agüita) cannot be further from reality. In fact, 2024 was the year that showed us that we love the buttons, moving the industry to add a camera control that does not work well on any phone, but that provides that extra button.

Something similar happens with the ports. We have been dreaming of a phone without ports for years, and we cannot be further from this reality. A mobile without ports is not so easy to introduce the public. In fact, Xiaomi already tried with him Mix Alphaa conceptual mobile that was presented in 2021 and which we did not know anything again.

Your fast charging system would be chaos (It is already with cables CDifferent loads C, fast -owned fast charging protocols, etc.), the connection to the car would only be possible in cases of having an auto/wireless carplay Android, and the PowerBanks industry would have to fully migrate to MAGSAFE type loaders.

Biometry to the face ID. There was a time when manufacturers obsessed with biometry. In fact, Samsung was the first company to introduce Iris reading on a phone. Years later, we have 90% of the phones taking a 2D photo with the camera and using this photo as a biometry system.

Google also tried, for only one year, with the facial reader of the 4 xl pixel. It took a single generation to back down, forget about facial biometry for a while, and recover it years later with 2D camera.

The rest, we leave it to Apple and Honor, the only companies that bet on full 3D facial recognition and much safer. Implement these systems requires extra cameras and Tof sensors. They are not especially expensive technologies, but it has important commitments for the terminal design.

Innovative screens no, thanks. A few years ago, mobiles with 3D screen wanted to consider as the future. In fact, there are manufacturers like Nubia who still try on tablets such as Nubia Pad 3D.

Beyond experiments of this type the market has left something clear: it wants “normal” screens without this technology. Something similar happens with folding mobiles. Although we see them as something new, they have been in the market from 2019and no brand is getting them to be mainstream.

There was also talk that, little by little, this technology would be cheaper. The reality is that no and that, to equal price against traditional phones, Users continue to prefer the latter.

Here you have an extensive and detailed list of technological trends that were anticipated as “the future of mobile phones” but that, until 2025, have not managed to consolidate or have been forgotten, based on analysis of experts and documented cases.

Surprises in design, either. We usually complain that manufacturers repeat design and do not innovate. The reality is that, every time there is a breaker project in design, it fails. LG was the one who ventured the most a few years ago, with a LG G5 Modular that failed to take off in sales. Nor did the LG Wingwith its rotating screen.

ARA also failedGoogle’s project to create a modular mobile that didn’t even see the light. The one of Google killing things It is not something new, but in 2016 they seemed clear that a mobile has to look like a mobile if you want to sell.

In short, no matter how much we weigh (and bored), the near future of the telephone will continue to go through hardware improvements, increasingly deep integration of AI and few surprises. At least, until someone manages to punch on the table to tear down the pillars that have been holding this industry for years.

Image | Xiaomi

In Xataka | Mobile phones are stagnant in terms of innovation. There is an explanation