The next generation of self-healing smart phones will be able to repair themselves if their screens get scratched or damaged.
A new report by analytics firm CCS Insight has predicted advances in technology mean manufacturers will be able to start producing gadgets with self-healing displays featuring a nano-coating within five years, meaning they could hit shelves as early as 2028.
The coating on the screen would be able to mend scratches by creating new material to fill gaps when it is exposed to the air.
The Predictions for 2024 and Beyond report states: “Self-healing displays appear on smartphones and other consumer electronics by 2028. The first self-healing displays emerge capable of repairing minor scratches and dents on their own. This is enabled by using a special material in the display, which when exposed to air reacts and forms a new layer of material to fill an imperfection.”
Ben Wood, the chief analyst at CCS Insight, told CNBC: “This is not in the realms of science fiction, it can be done. I think the biggest challenge with this is setting expectations correctly.”
He warned the new technology would not be able to magically fix a smashed screen, but small cosmetic scratches could become a thing of the past.
The report also predicted Instagram would add an “unfiltered” feed by 2024 to showcase unedited pictures amid fears about images being created by artificial intelligence as well as forecasting 15% of smartphone users have satellite-enabled devices by 2027.
It also suggests a surge of AI-created web articles will prompt search engines to add content warnings to results in a bid to crackdown on “AI-written spam articles”.
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