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Mobile gets better in 2016 and beyond

By Tracy Burrows, ITWeb contributor.
Johannesburg, 24 Nov 2015
Paulo Ferreira, director of Enterprise Mobility at Samsung South Africa
Paulo Ferreira, director of Enterprise Mobility at Samsung South Africa

The 'mobilisation' of South Africa is far from over, says Paulo Ferreira, director of Enterprise Mobility at Samsung South Africa. In 2016 and beyond, we can expect to see more mobile devices that will be faster and better, becoming more integral to running home and work life.

Ferreira says a number of mobility trends will come to the fore in 2016:

  • More devices: "Instead of seeing all mobile devices consolidating into a single multifunctional device, users are expected to increase their device ownership. It is expected that by 2020, a global population of 7.6 billion will be using over 50 billion devices."
  • Screen size preferences change: The phablet, with a screen size of between five and seven inches, will remain the fastest growing mobile segment in 2016. Samsung pioneered this category and this year has launched its fifth generation of phablets, with the Galaxy Note5 and S6 edge+. By 2017, phablets are expected to have cornered 50% of the enterprise market. In addition, new categories of tablet, with screen sizes of up to 18 inches, will emerge and gain popularity.
  • Accessories gain prominence: Mobile users are increasingly making the availability of accessories, such as keyboards and covers, a factor in their mobile device buying decisions. In line with this, Samsung launched a keyboard cover for its Galaxy S6 earlier this year and has also teamed up with various designers to create stunning, yet functional, ranges of accessories.
  • Connectivity speeds will increase: Manufacturers will continue to push the speed envelope, moving from the 'new de facto' 4G to 5G and beyond.
  • Processing power will improve: Multicore processing, better and faster memory moving well beyond the norm of 4GB or RAM, will empower users to do more on their mobiles.
  • Ruggedised device demand grows: As the need for mobility reaches more industry segments such as mining, construction and manufacturing, demand is growing for more shockproof, waterproof and rugged mobile devices, such as the Samsung Galaxy Tab Active.
  • Wearables gain traction: While wearable technology has been available for some time, demand is expected to surge from 2016, as users and enterprises see new use cases for hands-free functionality and wearable tracking. As more developers look to create apps for smart technology, smart watches such as the Gear S2 will see a greater diversity of uses within the enterprise space.
  • Mobile manages the smart home: Smart, connected home appliance demand is picking up, making the mobile device increasingly important as the smart home remote control and management tool.
  • Mobile integrates more closely with entertainment: 4K video, the ability to mirror smart TVs on tablets, and improved mobile connectivity and screen resolution, are making mobile devices an increasingly important part of the overall entertainment environment.

"2015 has been a year of huge advancement within the mobile arena and 2016 is set to be another game-changing year," concludes Ferreira. "With such rapid development of products and services, we can see the interconnected world really taking shape, with Samsung at the forefront of this development."

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