The next big thing in smartphones is... you tell us

Few consumer electronic categories have advanced in the last few years like the smartphone space. The smartphone has become a handheld computer that is ingrained in the lives of many owners. There are several capable platforms that run phones that have become as thin as can be. There are smartphones in various sizes from the smallest that fit easily in the hand to the garishly large ones that barely fit in a shirt pocket.

Phone makers have driven innovation to the point that it's not easy to predict what the next big technology might be in the smartphone space. Phones have gotten about as thin and light as they can while still allowing OEMs to cram lots of technology inside. We've got phones with insanely high-resolution cameras that rival dedicated point-and-shoots. There are phones currently on the market that squeeze high-resolution displays in a package just a few inches long.

Passionate mobile enthusiasts are surely thinking what might be coming next as it's not clear what OEMs might be planning to take the technology to the next level. Many ZDNet readers are both very smart and savvy about the technology that might impact smartphones of the future. Those are good reasons to have a focussed discussion about what we might see in smartphones to come.

This discussion should not be about which platform is better (or might be in the future), it should be about which hardware components, design innovations, features, or new software you think will jump-start the next generation of smartphones.

There is little doubt that some believe their current BlackBerry/Windows Phone/Android/iPhone is already perfect. If so, keep that to yourself as this isn't the place for a platform war. Keep your comments to the topic at hand which is what do smartphones currently lack that you think will make the super smartphone down the road.

Maybe you're thinking of a retina scanner to unlock your smartphone in the future. Perhaps you visualize a flexible display unfolding from your phone to make a big screen. Your ideas may be just what OEMs are looking for, so share them here. Some people in the industry read this space so who knows, maybe you'll kick-start the next big thing in smartphones.

This has the potential to be a very high level discussion so let's do it. Share your thoughts/longings about what could be improved in the smartphone of today to take us into the future. 

See also:

• How to fix the Android update mess: Paid updates
• New Year's resolution for Google: Fix the Android update situation
• Cutting through the FUD about Windows Phone updates
• Microsoft is in the driver’s seat for Windows Phone updates
• AT&T’s business model: why your mobile bill keeps going up
• The Flawed Android Update Process; Too Many Cooks
• Will the new Android consortium fix the update fiasco?