5G and foldable phones: have there been tech trends in the news as much as these two?
5G promises high capacity and low latency beyond what 4G can offer. It brings increased speed (the ability to move more data faster), reduced latency (everything is more responsive), and will increase the maximum number of devices connected at once (a huge benefit for mobile carriers as well as those who connect sensors, IoT and smart devices). This is a significant investment for the mobile ecosystem in the next decade and could have a significant impact on the types of mobile applications delivered in the future.
Foldable smartphones are arguably the most exciting innovation we've seen in the mobile phone industry in a decade, though it's clearly not quite ready for retail yet. They bring a screen twice as big as a normal smartphone, while still being in your pocket. The smartphone is suddenly a tablet.
Both countries have their own set of problems to work out before entering the mainstream market, but the combination of the two holds promise for one sector in particular: broadcast companies.
Twitch has between 2.2 and 3.2 million monthly broadcasters and an average of 999,174 viewers connected at the same time. Hotstar, India's largest streaming service, broke its own streaming record with 18.6 million concurrent users for the IPL final. Netflix's Bandersnatch also showed that interactive storytelling can shape the future of entertainment.
All of these successful streaming services have one thing in common: they create interactivity and offer new ways to engage audiences through streaming video and at scale. They build on the broader technology trend of "connected shared experiences": connecting audiences in a virtual environment to communicate, collaborate, interact and share in real time as they would in the real world.
Image Credit: Shutterstock
(Image: © Shutterstock)
5G and foldable phones
5G will enable application developers to deliver high-performance, immersive and data-intensive applications, and enable them to connect more devices and transmit data between them faster. Real Estate Dual Screen Flip Phones.
With increased network capabilities and a ton of new real estate available on screen, streaming apps, whether it's live events, games, or gaming. Communication (or all three) can now deliver immersive streaming experiences and add new ways to engage and retain viewers. This means larger audiences, greater mobilization and retention of these audiences, and therefore new and more valuable sources of revenue.
The mobile opportunity
Mobile apps accounted for 57% of total digital media usage in 2018, making it the number one driver of digital media consumption. And the mobile share of digital video playback in the world has increased from 14% in 2013 to 62% in 2018. In short, the public consumes video on mobile devices at an increasing rate, despite weaker and unreliable connectivity. compared to web browsers. connected via Wi-Fi.
5G will be the next force to push these numbers even higher. What was once an exclusive feature for laptops and tablets connected to a WiFi connection is now available for mobile users. This means that they will be able to experience fast and engaging streaming from anywhere on their mobile phone. And for companies that broadcast live events, it means more users are engaged in the content being broadcast.
(Image: © LaComparacion)
New features to engage and retain.
To deliver compelling new multi-user features built around live streaming, streaming companies need two things: the ability to evolve experiences based on real-time data from vast audiences, and more. Space in the user interface to integrate these features. The line between attractive features desired by users is clear, without sacrificing the visual experience of the event itself, drawing users to the venue.
Private and group discussions, polls, live reactions, small games, and expert analysis help keep users engaged. They create a two-way conversation with the transmitter, breathing new life into what would otherwise be a normal video stream.
5G promises to enhance the interactive experiences surrounding these video streams, with foldable phones providing the actual display.
By doubling the size of the screen, foldable phones allow streaming companies to offer the beautiful browser user interface in a smartphone app.
New sources of income.
With new live feeds and new features to build customer loyalty and fidelity, there are new revenue streams available for streaming companies.
Sponsored content, interactive advertising, and a growing user base, which drives up sponsorship costs, increases the value of ad space (and the number of spots it can be placed). Instead of just relying on traditional advertising, live streaming platforms can use all the different points of engagement for sponsorship and advertising.
The combination of 5G and foldable phones will enable OTT streaming companies to offer engaging new experiences to their audiences and create new revenue streams for their platforms. Look to more traditional wired networks to extend your content to these new forms of transmission and take advantage of the opportunities it offers by improving performance and interfaces.
Todd Greene, PubNub CEO