What's the next product that will disrupt the smartphone industry?

Originally published on Kapuno in the Technology community

Phones and tablets are not the end-all of mobile computing and identity.  I’ve thought that the best way to disrupt the phone market is to add some core telephony, wireless, gps, gyro and accelerometers that were historically in the phone and put them in a wristband that’s a similar form-factor to a Fitbit. The band may lack easy inputs beyond gestures but it can log the user in to devices elsewhere. Let’s call it the iBand to simplify its reference.

(Apple is sending a cease-and-desist as we speak.)

By taking those chips out, the phone becomes just another screen that interfaces with the iBand. The iBand would have a robust API layer and application platform that devices could interface with to call out, authenticate you, etc.

Authenticating iBand with devices, badges, any screen would quickly sync their identity from the zé cloud. There would be no need to carry the screen around as there could be shared screens everywhere.

What are your thoughts on the way to change the game in mobile/wearable computing?

EDIT: Thanks HN community, would love your thoughts in the comments over there. Here’s a link back: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4851579

Responses

Matt Bertenthal

November 30, 2012

What about Google Glass?  It will have many of the components you mentioned, although it is more imposing on your daily life than a wristband would be.  I actually like your idea of shared screens rather than having a screen persistent in your POV.

Cyrus Radfar (November 30, 2012)

Thinking of Google Glass generically as a heads-up display, I think it’s just another device that could interface with the band I was speaking of in the post. The more of the complexity we can move to a single robust device that we always wear, the more valuable it is.

For example, one huge limit is the fact that neither Glass nor phones are waterproof so, when you’re surfing you’ve now lost your connection ;)

I’m pushing for a device that I never take off. It needs to be waterproof, comfortable, and robust. If that’s true then people can design assuming that it’s always with you.I don’t think this is a pipe dream.

John Stamm (November 30, 2012)

This is neat. How is it different from Quora?

Cyrus Radfar (November 30, 2012)

TLDR; We’re a conversation platform for niche communities, not a QA site.

In my mind, the most important questions are the one’s with no right answer.

We focus on building and nurturing communities. We actually deliberately seed the communities here.

We’re really early stage, just started inviting close friends about a month ago and are taking our time to sand down the edges before attempting to promote it.

Thanks for joining!