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Will Smartphone Apps Eventually Become Extinct Due To Artificial Intelligence?

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The smartphone revolution was sped up when Steve Jobs unveiled the original iPhone in 2007, which came with a limited number of Apple-made apps. Neither an app store nor a software development kit (SDK) were available for third parties to use in order to create apps. When the doors were opened to the development of apps in early 2008, everything changed.

Millions of smartphone apps have been created for Android and iPhone devices since then, and they have had a profoundly revolutionary effect on society.

However, is the app economy about to end?

There may be preconditions for a post-app era, given the recent explosion of innovation in artificial intelligence (AI), especially generative AI. It may bring about entirely new ways for us to interact with our gadgets and for businesses to provide goods and services.

The notion that the usefulness of apps is diminishing is not a novel concept. In fact, observers have been arguing that an app isn’t the best experience for more than ten years. An app is a stand-alone software application on a screen of icons that needs to be found, opened, and used.

These days, certain smartphone features don’t call for these kinds of actions. You can read a pushed notification and reply to it if needed, skipping the app entirely. The device can control security just by glancing at your face. Voice commands are used by Siri and Google Assistant on Android devices to find locations and perform actions like playing music and providing driving directions.

Although smartwatches, with their multitude of non-app functions, haven’t completely replaced apps, their extraordinary popularity suggests that people are willing to try new things when it comes to using technology.

The majority interface that users use to interact with their mobile devices is still apps, even in spite of these advancements.

Over six billion smartphones are in use worldwide, demonstrating how widely used they are. 88 percent of American mobile device users’ time is spent using apps. A significant amount of that percentage is made up of games, with business, education, and lifestyle uses following.

Apps have revolutionized the way purchase goods, find dates, and consume information and entertainment. Apps offer businesses a completely new avenue for communication. These days, a business lacking an app is an anomaly, and it might be a decision that is costing it actual money in lost opportunities.

What are the chances that installed, standalone apps will lose their position as the industry leader? Whether there is a better option is a key question to address.

Popular needs have been consolidated into a single interface by smartphones and apps. Common functions like playing games, obtaining directions, making payments, obtaining information, snapping photos, capturing videos, and much more are on the extensive list. Without a doubt, this change has completely changed the game. Grab your phone, find or download an app, and you’re set to go.

But what if all you had to do was give a voice command to fulfill your needs instead of having to find an app? Or, even better, what if your device knew who you were and knew exactly what you needed, taking care of it for you?

Apps may suddenly seem excessively complicated. This intelligent of a device would eliminate the need to choose an app, find and launch it on a device, memorize its numerous instructions, and then follow them. This would eliminate a significant layer of overhead. Technology would become almost invisible, fading into the background.

For more than thirty years, Bill Gates, the former CEO of Microsoft, has written about software, the future of software, and the idea of software-enabled personal assistants, or what he calls agents. His predictions are only now starting to come true because have developed the necessary technology thanks to advancements in artificial intelligence. To quote him, “You won’t have to use different apps for different tasks. You’ll simply tell your device, in everyday language, what you want to do. And depending on how much information you choose to share with it, the software will be able to respond personally because it will have a rich understanding of your life.”

In a world without apps, cellphones might become obsolete. The AI Pin was created by the San Francisco-based startup Humane. It’s a tiny, voice- and hand-activated wearable gadget that fits like a lapel pin and is slightly larger than an Apple AirPods charging case. Although it lacks a screen, it can project images and text onto a person’s hand. It lacks a screen, but according to the developers, it has all the features of a smartphone. Get a peek of the future and the potential of an entirely new market with the Ai Pin.

Millions of apps and billions of dollars are made annually by app developers in our world. In an industry this big and complex, a post-app, or software agent world, will bring about significant and frequently unsettling change. Additionally, businesses will need to reconsider and reimagine how they interact with consumers. However, as one age transitions into another, new possibilities and innovations may arise.

Though there is still a long way to go before this future is fully realized, it will fundamentally alter the way interact with computers and the outside world.

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Google experiments with Android tablets’ desktop windowing

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Google is testing a new feature for Android tablets that would allow you to easily rearrange apps on your screen and resize them, which will facilitate multitasking. Developer previews of the “desktop windowing” functionality are now accessible, and you can even run multiple instances of the app simultaneously if they support it.

At the moment, Android tablet apps always open in full screen mode. Each program will show up in a window with controls to let you move, maximize, or close it when the new mode is enabled. Moreover, your open programs will be listed in a taskbar at the bottom of the screen.

It sounds a lot like Stage Manager for the iPad, which allows you to do the same with windows on your screen, or with almost any desktop operating system. For years, Samsung has also provided its DeX experience, which gives Android apps on Galaxy phones and tablets desktop-like window management.

When the functionality becomes available to all users, you may activate it by tapping and holding the window handle located at the top of an application’s screen. The shortcut meta key (Windows, Command, or Search) + Ctrl + Down can also be used to enter desktop mode if a keyboard is connected. (You can drag a window to the top of your screen to dismiss the mode, or you can close all of your open apps.)

Apps that are locked to portrait orientation can still be resized, according to Google, which could have odd visual effects if some apps aren’t optimized. Google intends to fix this in a later release, though, by scaling non-resizable apps’ user interfaces without changing their aspect ratios.

For the time being, users with the most recent Android 15 QPR1 Beta 2 for Pixel Tablets can access the developer preview.

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Sony Faces Backlash for Pricing PlayStation 5 Pro Well Above Xbox

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Sony Group Corp. has set the price of its new, faster PlayStation 5 Pro at $700, significantly higher than Microsoft’s Xbox Series X, which costs $600. The PlayStation 5 Pro, launching on November 7, comes at a $200 premium over the original PS5, suggesting Sony is targeting a loyal audience willing to pay extra for enhanced performance.

This pricing positions both Sony and Microsoft at the high end of the gaming console market. Four years into their product life cycles, the two most popular home consoles are moving towards premium models. Analysts are split on whether Sony’s pricing strategy will drive sales, especially as it seeks to grow its entertainment portfolio across gaming, anime, and film.

Industry analyst Serkan Toto described the PlayStation 5 Pro as a niche device aimed at hardcore PlayStation users, rather than a mass-market offering. “It’s about Sony skimming the absolute top end of the market,” he said, with the gaming world questioning Sony’s high pricing.

Others speculate that Sony’s pricing strategy is aimed at boosting margins, particularly after recent price hikes in Japan due to rising component costs like chips. The new console will allow for higher resolution and faster frame rates without requiring users to switch between performance modes, delivering 45% faster rendering than the standard PS5, according to lead architect Mark Cerny.

Despite the steep price, some analysts believe Sony could benefit. Citi analyst Kota Ezawa pointed out that no previous game console successor has been priced significantly higher than the original model, and that the PS5 Pro’s improved components may not justify such a big price jump. Nevertheless, the higher price could enhance Sony’s gross margins.

The PlayStation 5, which has sold over 59 million units since its 2020 release, has slightly lagged behind the PlayStation 4. The increased cost of the PS5 Pro may narrow its appeal, as the price edges closer to that of a gaming PC—one of the console market’s biggest competitors.

Reviewers also highlighted the lack of a disc drive in the new model, reflecting a broader industry shift from physical media to digital content. A disc drive will be available separately for purchase.

In a blog post, Sony announced that the PS5 Pro would enhance the performance of older titles, with several popular games such as Hogwarts Legacy, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, and Spider-Man 2 receiving free updates to take advantage of the console’s new features.

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Apple’s iPhone 16 Launch: A Crucial Test for Consumer AI

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Apple is set to unveil its highly anticipated iPhone 16 lineup on Monday, Sept. 9, during its annual event at its Cupertino headquarters. The keynote, led by CEO Tim Cook, is expected to introduce not only the new iPhones but also the 10th anniversary Apple Watch and updated AirPods.

While the hardware lineup is impressive, Wall Street’s focus is elsewhere—on Apple’s generative AI platform, Apple Intelligence. This AI initiative, designed for iPhones, iPads, and Macs, represents Apple’s major push into the consumer AI space. Initially, investors were concerned about the company’s delay in launching AI compared to Microsoft and Google. However, after the platform was revealed at Apple’s WWDC conference in June, the company’s stock surged by 15%, outperforming tech giants like Microsoft, Amazon, and Google.

Apple Intelligence is now positioned as a key feature of the new iPhones, particularly those from the iPhone 15 Pro and newer models. Analysts believe this exclusivity will drive iPhone sales, with Morgan Stanley’s Erik Woodring predicting AI as a major factor in boosting the iPhone replacement cycle.

However, Apple Intelligence might be more than just a sales driver—it could shape consumer perceptions of generative AI itself.

Apple’s AI Ambitions

Apple’s upcoming event makes it clear that AI is front and center. From the tagline “It’s Glowtime” to the colorful logo reminiscent of Siri’s new look, the company is signaling a major AI focus.

The AI features Apple is integrating into its ecosystem are extensive. Users can expect tools that summarize text conversations, prioritize emails, enhance Siri’s capabilities, and offer access to OpenAI’s ChatGPT. Additional features like AI-powered proofreading and email optimization will also be part of the package, along with new apps developed to leverage AI through Apple’s hardware.

Wedbush analyst Dan Ives forecasts that Apple’s AI integration could bring in an extra $10 billion in annual services revenue, potentially boosting the company’s market cap to $4 trillion.

Though competitors like Samsung and Google have also introduced AI in their devices, Apple’s approach seems more compelling. Its June event showcased how seamlessly AI integrates into its ecosystem, making the technology feel more personal and essential compared to the offerings from Samsung’s Galaxy AI and Google’s Gemini platform.

The AI Risk

However, Apple faces challenges in ensuring Apple Intelligence’s success. The AI needs to avoid errors like those seen in Google’s AI tools, which have been criticized for providing bizarre recommendations. More importantly, Apple must prove that its AI is something consumers will genuinely want to use, rather than just a rushed feature aimed at appeasing investors.

As Apple ventures deeper into AI, its success or failure could shape the future of generative AI for everyday consumers.

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