In the era of instant messengers, a smartphone without a SIM card is no longer perceived as a "brick": having connected to  Wi - Fi , you can talk to most of your friends from your contact list. But what if you completely abandon the physical "SIM"?

Everything will be fine: virtual SIM cards already exist. More precisely, the virtualization technology developed by the GSMA, an association representing the interests of over 800 mobile operators and 250 companies in the mobile ecosystem around the world. It was she who offered operators and mobile users an unusual compromise: to abandon physical SIM cards in favor of eSIM. Visit here for  remote pc monitoring software

eSIM (embedded) is a non-removable SIM card in the form of a 5x5 mm eUICC that is integrated into the mobile device. The work with eSIM is controlled by a trusted center represented by the GSMA, and the cellular operator is assigned the role of an intermediary between the association and the user.

How to become a subscriber of a mobile operator with  eSIM

Now a typical situation in our country looks like this: the operator issues and sells SIM-cards to future subscribers, who install them in their mobile devices. If the SIM card needs to be replaced or restored, the cellular operator is connected to the case again. It also regulates the set of services that the subscriber receives. This is partly why there are so many users with two or even three SIM cards. The services of one operator are not enough for them, because one has cheap calls in roaming, while the other has a lot of gigabytes of packet Internet.

With the advent of eSIM, everything changes. Imagine that there are no more physical SIM-cards, and slots for them too. Instead, small chips are integrated into mobile devices, to which one or more operators can be tied.

The rest of the eSIM works as standard, unless you can see, touch or replace it. But at any time it can be reprogrammed for the services of another operator. On one device, profiles of different operators are configured, between which you can then switch between a couple of clicks in the smartphone menu.

Since 2015, the eSIM specification has begun to be extended to consumer wearable devices. Very soon any of us can become the owner of such a device. But more on that later.

Advanced eSIM capabilities

We have already written about the most interesting feature - this is Remote Provisioning, or the technology of virtualization of SIM-cards. Thanks to it, the subscriber, instead of a physical SIM-card, can work with any number of virtual ones from different cellular operators.

ESIM was originally created for M2M (Machine to Machine) devices. That is, with the help of this board, devices could easily exchange information with each other directly, without intermediate technologies. M2M adds new features to familiar products and services. For example, with it, a gadget can be connected directly to a video surveillance system or to your own car.

The eSIM standard opens up new possibilities for managing mobile services and gives more freedom to mobile subscribers. It is easy to select a suitable operator and tariff plan from the standard menu. With the help of the universal activation code, as many numbers as the user needs are registered.

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Pros and cons of eSIM

The initiative, actively promoted by the GSMA, has many benefits for both operators and their subscribers.Users are no longer limited in choosing a cellular provider - they can connect exactly as many tariffs and services as needed.

You do not need to go to the office of a specific operator to conclude a contract or replace / restore a SIM-ku. This can be done faster, easier and, most importantly, remotely.

Mobile devices will get a little cheaper, as manufacturers will not have to build a construct into them to install traditional SIM-cards.

The dimensions of the eSIM board are smaller than the traditional SIM slot (even if the latter is in nanoSIM format), so gadget developers do not have to figure out how to find available space for other electronic components.

The operator will have one more item of savings: it will not have to produce starter packs, service existing and issue new SIM-cards. Plus, it can reduce rental costs, since offices will be needed several times less than now.

It will be easier to manage the services, since this will be done by the same cellular operators, and a single trusted center of the GSMA.

It is most profitable to switch to eSIM for those subscribers who use the services of two or more operators. Everyone who often travels abroad and does not want to overpay for communication in roaming will win. It will be enough for them to choose a suitable tariff in a conditional online store and connect their smartphone to it. It is easier and cheaper than looking for which operator in an unfamiliar country offers the best conditions for tourists and going to his office.

If eSIM had solid advantages, everyone would use this technology, at least developed countries, but so far this is not the case. The main problem of a virtual SIM is legal restrictions that strictly regulate the relationship between operators and subscribers. And operators themselves are not always interested in eSIM, because it simplifies the outflow of customers to competitors. In some countries - the USA, for example - most smartphones are sold at a “tasty” price, but in conjunction with a contract of a certain operator. In the meantime, eSIM is used in a little more than ten countries around the world, and in some - with significant restrictions.

iPhone XS  is the most famous smartphone with eSIM support

The Apple iPhone XS smartphones, announced in September 2018, are designed to work with two SIM cards. One of them is traditional - physical, and the second - just eSIM. The iPhone XS is not the only smartphone to support the new specification, but it is definitely still the most famous. The manufacturer has implemented a similar configuration in the iPhone XR and XS Max and Apple Watch 3/4. In each case, only one radio module is used, and this imposes certain restrictions - during a call, the second SIM card is not available, the same applies to working with the mobile Internet.

How are things with  eSIM in Russia ?

To become a subscriber of a cellular operator, in Russia you need to conclude a subscription agreement with the operator. The phone number turns out to be actually tied to a specific person. If you work with eSIM the way the GSMA offers, the usual legal order will have to be violated, because the subscriber will be able to stop using the operator's services and not even notify him about it.

What it looks like now: the subscriber must come to the operator's office with a passport and write a statement to terminate the contract. If someone does not have the opportunity to visit the office in person, he will have to draw up and certify a power of attorney in the name of another person. These rules make breaking up with the operator a real quest, and not fun at all.

In April 2019, one of the largest mobile operators in Russia began to connect its subscribers to eSIM. He offered a compromise option: transfer a personal physical SIM-card to a virtual one. If you want to have the same number on your smartphone and Apple Watch of the latest model, this is regarded as cloning a SIM card, which is prohibited by the laws of the Russian Federation. Therefore, after generating a virtual card, the physical one simply stopped working. To activate the virtual one, one of the few specialized offices of the operator still had to contact one of the few specialized offices of the operator, and since mid-May this service was completely disabled at the request of the Ministry of Telecom and Mass Communications.

The ministry has already announced that in the future they intend to remove restrictions on the use of eSIM in Russia, but so far this issue is not on the agenda, respectively, it is too early to talk about the timing. But even if virtual cards are legalized, foreign companies will be obliged to store and process eSIM data on servers on the territory of the Russian Federation, as prescribed by the federal law "On Personal Data", known as 152-FZ.

 What does any actor dream about? Of course, about the Oscars. A brilliant role, worthy of a reward, can be expected a lifetime. But we would advise the actors to hurry up. Robots have already made their way into theaters. RoboThespian is the world's first mechanized actor that theaters can already buy for a troupe. RoboThespian was developed by the English company Engineered Arts. 

History

The word "robot" appeared in English in 1921, when Karel Čapek released a science fiction play, although the writer hardly expected that after almost a century robots would become full participants in the stage action.

Initially, the RoboThespian robot was not created to replace the actors themselves, but as a kind of guide, the use of which allows you not to pay extra to a person who invites spectators before each performance, addresses them with general information about the performance or offers programs.

The first batch of RoboThespian robots consisted of only 15 pieces and instantly sold to theaters, universities and museums. It turned out that a robot is an irreplaceable thing if you need to give a presentation and a short tour. RoboThespian can be programmed to respond in a pattern. The robot will remember the necessary information and will reproduce it, while making minimal gestures and moving around. He can speak in different languages. In order to use it on stage in some kind of performance, you can dress it up in a costume.

Formats for using robots in the theater

The first appearance of robots on the stage as actors took place in 2008: on November 25 in Osaka, Japan, two androids played together with people a 20-minute play "I, a Worker" based on the play by Japanese playwright Oridza Hirata.

In the same year, robotic androids Thomas and Janet played in the Taiwanese production of The Phantom of the Opera. The actors sang, read dialogues and even made the first kiss of the humanoid robots.

And in 2009, Snow White with artificial intelligence (robot EveR-3) danced in the Korean production of Robot and the Seven Dwarfs.The world's first robot theater opened in 2010 in Warsaw. Robots made by Engineered Arts are performing there.

There are no fully robotic performances yet. One of the striking examples of the use of artificial intelligence in the framework of the theater is the play "Evil Valley" by Francesca Talenti. The plot is based on the story of a man who agrees to upload his personality inside a robot in exchange for money. RoboThespian was involved in the play. The novice director himself admitted that working with the robot was not so easy. All because of the untimely reaction and excessive unnaturalness of actions.

Another format for using robots in the theater is a one-man show. It is more popular because it eliminates the need for the robot to interact with real people. For example, the Theater of Nations in Moscow shows the same play "The Evil Valley". True, in the interpretation of director Stefan Kegi, there is only a robot on the stage that delivers a monologue.

Other uses for RoboThespian robots

While experiments with robotic actors are numbered in units. The directors abandon the idea of ​​replacing the lively emotions and feelings of the actors with artificial intelligence. So a theater with robots is still the future. And the real RoboThespian is working in museums, cultural centers and so on. The robot is very useful there. Humanoid robots help attract more visitors and make any cultural venue more interactive.

How much does a robot actor cost?

Perhaps the high price of RoboThespian is one of the key factors that is stopping directors so far. One robot costs more than $ 80,000, while a standard play may require about ten actors. There are also analogues on the market: Asimo robots. However, their functionality cannot be compared with what neither RoboThespian nor, moreover, live actors do on stage.

 Man, unlike nocturnal animals, cannot see in the dark. But technologies allow, if not to see, then at least to record on video what is happening in an unlit room. Many modern cameras are equipped with infrared illumination. Is it necessary for a camera installed in an apartment, or can you do without a backlight? 

How to choose a camera for video surveillance?

It is worth noting that all cameras are more or less capable of shooting in the dark - the image quality depends on the light sensitivity of the matrix. However, infrared illumination is often required to obtain a sufficiently clear picture to assess the events that fall into the camera lens. Before the advent of modern LEDs built into cameras, external infrared emitters were widely used. External illuminators of the IK6 series, manufactured in St. Petersburg, are widely used in our country. The products were of a plate or bolt design. Illuminators IK6 were used both separately and as emitters in the assembly of powerful infrared illuminators. But unlike modern LEDs, these illuminators required a heat sink - they were installed on massive radiators, but the plates could still overheat and fail. In addition, the installation of external illuminators required considerable care, since the emitters were made of brass - they could be bent.

Also, infrared plates were made that simulate the apartment number: the illuminator is mounted on the door instead of the usual number plate, and a camera is mounted near the door. However, all these solutions were not very convenient for domestic use - they required installation, were quite bulky and noticeable: infrared illuminators were often damaged by intruders.

Practice has shown that a different technological solution is required for apartments and small private houses - a camera with built-in infrared illumination.Such solutions began to appear en masse on the market in the 2000s and quickly gained popularity.

Benefits of built-in backlight

Compared to infrared illuminators, the illumination built into the camera has several advantages:

• Low power consumption and the ability to work from a DC source (usually 5 V) - just connect the camera and the backlight is already on.
•  Significant reliability. Manufacturers typically guarantee a device to run for 50,000 hours or more.
• Compact dimensions of the camera itself: additional separate devices are not required when connecting.
• Relatively low cost of very high quality cameras.

You can be followed. But not everywhere

Cameras with separate infrared spotlights are of course still found. In some cases, they are more effective than household cameras with built-in backlighting (for example, when shooting moving objects at a distance). But in the vast majority of cases, the built-in backlight capabilities are enough to get a fairly high-quality video recording in low light.

The above advantages were immediately appreciated by both large companies and consumers. Cameras with built-in lighting are available from dozens of manufacturers. Devices in domed and cylindrical housings exist in both indoor and outdoor versions. Cameras with built-in support in anti-vandal housings are very popular.

Inexpensive and high-quality solutions for home video surveillance are offered, among other things, by Internet providers. OnLime subscribers can activate the Video Surveillance service and receive a high-quality camera with built-in IR illumination. The device can be controlled using a mobile app, and the video archive is stored on cloud servers.

The future of infrared lighting

Of course, technology is improving, and infrared illuminators are gradually getting better quality. In recent years, cameras with pulsed infrared illumination have appeared. The use of pulsed illumination makes it possible to increase the power of the emitter while maintaining the small physical dimensions of the device. In an apartment or a small house, the difference will not be too noticeable, but when observing moving objects (for example, cars arriving at the parking lot in the evening), the pulsed illumination allows you to see even small details in low light.

In addition, since the mid-2010s, cameras with built-in illumination with variable angle illumination began to be produced. Simply put, the angle of illumination depends on the angle of view of the camera. The spotlight and the camera are synchronized quite accurately, and this allows you to get a sufficiently high-quality image in the dark in those cases when the camera automatically rotates, fixing the situation in the room.

In short, technology makes our lives safer even at night. How will surveillance camera manufacturers surprise us in the coming years? Wait and see.

Thinking about a career in music? We will have to take into account that artificial intelligence is stepping on the heels of musicians more and more persistently. So if you don’t become a worthy representative of this creative profession, you have someone to fear ... Besides human competitors.

In the near future a high-quality "machine product" will certainly become very popular and will be able to overtake the low-quality tracks of pseudo stars in popularity. Let's take a look at the latest news on the success of artificial intelligence in making music and fantasize a bit about what this could theoretically turn out to be.

Producer, find me!

Without which it is difficult to imagine a successful start? That's right, without the patronage of an experienced producer. And no doubt there will be a producer for a musical project with the participation of artificial intelligence. More precisely - already found!

This year the largest music label Warner Music signed a contract with the Endel algorithm - this application analyzes user data and creates a personalized background music. Considering the time of day, the weather and even the heart rate of a particular person, Endel can offer music to concentrate, relax and improve the quality of sleep.

Under the contract, by the end of the year, artificial intelligence is to release 20 albums, five of which have already been recorded: "Clear Night", "Rainy Night", "Cloudy Evening", "Cloudy Night" and "Misty Morning". All of them are dedicated to sleep and are consonant with the state of a falling asleep or, conversely, an awakening person.

For example, "Foggy Morning". Rumor has it that fans of the trance genre are fully imbued with the "creativity" of Endel🙂

The attention of the record company Warner Music makes you wonder how much potential artificial intelligence has in the field of music production, doesn't it?

By the way, an interesting fact: the service for generating background music Endel was founded by Russians.

The likeness of an idol: soulless, but high quality

There are a great many examples in which the neural network was introduced to the work of cult personalities and received musical results from it. And many examples are not the first freshness, because artificial intelligence wrote rap in the style of Kanye West, songs in the style of Cobain and Letov, and even created an entire album in the style of black metal a few years ago.

But technology continues to improve and the training of neural networks does not stop: not so long ago, Huawei entrusted the artificial intelligence of its flagship smartphone to finish the work of the Austrian composer Franz Schubert.

Having studied 90 works by Schubert himself and having analyzed the works of composers who influenced him, the neural network completed the missing parts of Symphony No. 8. In early February this year, it was performed by musicians at the Cadogan Hall in London.

However, before the augmented version was played by a real orchestra, the "efforts" of artificial intelligence were brought to mind by a human - the melody was processed by the composer Lucas Cantor.

Whatever one may say, the neural network cannot bring emotions into the work. Or is it just for now?

So should I give up my musical career if I am a human being?

Artificial intelligence analyzes the work of famous people, writes both music and poetry to it, can reproduce voices (unlike many modern performers - hitting notes) and change them ... A bold fantasy, more and more like reality, looks like this: just about neural networks will not only advise users on tracks based on their preferences, but will also begin to create music based on our taste and mood.

Perhaps even cleverly using words and images that are suitable for a specific situation in songs! The only thing left is to teach intelligent systems a little more.

The only thing thanks to which live musicians, even in a super-technological future, will be able to confidently stay afloat is the presence of soul and talent, without which creativity is impossible as a phenomenon.

Two names are closely related to electric vehicles: Nikola Tesla and Elona Musk. Both of them influenced the fate of electric vehicles, which became a real revolution in the automotive industry. And it seems that their time is just beginning.

Nikola Tesla is often called "the man who invented the twentieth century", but in fact he did much more - he defined the main vector of the development of the automotive industry in the twenty-first century. Today, one of the most famous electric vehicle manufacturers in the world bears his name.

Was Nikola Tesla the inventor of the electric car?

There is no definite answer to this question, but there are no less myths and assumptions than about Bigfoot or aliens. It is believed that Nikola Tesla in 1931 demonstrated a working prototype of an electric car that moved autonomously, without power sources connected to it. Allegedly, a famous engineer and inventor removed the internal combustion engine from the Pierce-Arrow car, installed an AC electric motor in its place, connected several lamps, resistors and wires to it, and then connected it to the standard transmission. Until now, no one has confirmed that this electric car actually existed. But according to legend, he was supposed to develop a record speed - up to 150 km / h! But Nikola Tesla's electric motors, to the development of which he made a huge contribution (and this is a historical fact!), Are successfully used in modern electric trains,

How ICEs and electric motors competed over a century ago

Even if we consider the story of Nikola Tesla's electric car a myth, electric motors still appeared before internal combustion engines (ICE). It was only in the 19th century that there were several successful attempts to create a DC car electric motor. The output was not quite cars in the modern sense, but they were quite working prototypes and even serial models of vehicles, quite in the spirit of that time. Until 1920, electric motors still competed with internal combustion engines, but in the end gasoline engines won out - they were cheaper, more powerful and faster.

The rebirth of electric vehicles was experienced in the 90s of the last century. There were two reasons for this: oil prices were rapidly increasing, and the idea of ​​environmental protection was actively gaining popularity in society. These were favorable conditions in order to reuse not gasoline or gas, but environmentally friendly electricity. True, this required a radical rethinking of electric vehicles from the past and create something that would appeal to discerning buyers.

From the dream of the perfect electric sports car to Tesla

Tesla wasn't the first to make electric vehicles, but it set the bar high and made the whole world talk about its cars. This is partly due to the charisma and fantastic ideas of Elon Musk - one of its founders - but this is not the only reason for its popularity.

Tesla Motors was founded in 2003 by Martin Eberhard and Mark Tarpenning. The first dreamed of an ideal sports car, but did not want it to have an internal combustion engine. So the idea came up to install an electric motor in it. The company, which was engaged in the production of electric vehicles, lithium-ion batteries, photovoltaic panels and solar tiles, was symbolically named after the great inventor Nikola Tesla.

The first hand-assembled prototype, called the TZero, never entered commercial production. The founders of Tesla Motors did not have enough money to implement the idea with an electric car - the task turned out to be more difficult than it seemed at first. Eberhard was actively looking for investors until he met Elon Musk, already a famous engineer and billionaire at that time. Musk got so carried away that he invested tens of millions of dollars in Tesla Motors, and over time became its CEO and mastermind.

Later, other talented engineers and managers appeared in the company, and the founders turned out to be from the idea of ​​creating a car from scratch. Now the task was to build on the electric vehicle based on a suitable production model. The latter must meet several conditions: sporty, compact, with an engine compartment behind the driver - to evenly distribute the mass of the batteries. The popular British sports car Lotus Elise was chosen as the basis, and the prototype of the electric car was named Tesla Roadster.

Tesla Evolution : From Roadster to Model Y

Tesla Roadster was released only in 2006. Elon Musk decided to draw attention to the car in a non-trivial way: he arranged a private show and invited 350 famous and, of course, not poor guests to it. During the show, orders were taken on the Signature One Hundred, and Musk was guaranteed to sell the first Tesla electric car for only $ 100,000 to the first hundred who wanted it. At the same time, aggressive advertising in the mass media began, followed by authoritative awards and titles, but … The car turned out to be "raw" for inspection.

Tesla Roadster accelerated to 100 km / h in just 3.9 seconds and could cover 393 km without recharging.

The manufacturer did not calculate its strength, did not take into account many technical issues, and the Roadster electric sports car ended up with its owners two years later than planned. The first experience was unsuccessful, and the car was more often criticized than admired. Celebrities rained down claims like "it doesn't work" or "constantly breaks down." Elon Musk tried to save the situation by transferring the car for testing to the popular Top Gear show, but this idea failed miserably. Show host Jeremy Clarkson criticized the Tesla Roadster so much that it turned into a lawsuit.

The thousandth Roadster was sold only in 2010.

Musk is not one of those who stop halfway, because his company (at that time he owned the lion's share of Tesla shares) started producing a new modification - the Roadster Sport. This car took only 3.7 seconds to accelerate to the cherished 100 km / h, and the power reserve was 372 km.

The next step was the Tesla Model S, with a former stylist from Mazda North America involved in its development. The company spent a long time looking for a site to build a new plant and ultimately chose the city of Fremont, California. The Model S prototype was shown back in 2009, but commercial production began only three years later. The manufacturer promised that, depending on the selected configuration, the car will travel 442, 502 and 480 kilometers without recharging. The acceleration time to 100 km / h was also different - it ranges from 3.1 to 5.4 seconds.

The Model S P100D with Ludicrous mode was the first car with an electric motor to travel 500 kilometers on a single charge.

The Model X prototype was released in 2012 in Los Angeles. It is a full-size, all-wheel-drive luxury SUV electric vehicle. Unlike the Model S, it uses two electric motors - one each on the front and rear axles. The Falcon Wing doors became the most interesting in the design of the new car, and the more practical people should have appreciated the HEPA filter in the cabin. The doors provided the car with a spectacular opening, and the filter - perfectly clean air, like in an operating room. By the way, the Model X is a full-fledged crossover with six passenger seats. It is no longer just a sports car, but a roomy car with good cross-country ability. In the modification with a 100 kW / h battery pack, it can accelerate to 100 km / h in just 3.1 seconds!

Everything about Tesla cars is great, apart from their price. Therefore, Elon Musk decided to reduce the cost of one of the models. He called it Model 3 and began selling it for a democratic $ 35,000. In 2016, it was almost half the price of the simplest modification of the Model S. If more expensive models offered an autonomous range of 500 km, then in Model 3 it was only 346 km. Elon Musk even began to dissuade some buyers from the idea of ​​getting a Model 3, as he saw their high expectations from this car. Nevertheless, it went on sale, and thousands of motorists got the opportunity to buy the first electric car.

The next stage is Model Y, announced in 2019. This is another sporty crossover in four versions. It is expected to go on sale in 2021. The model will be sold at a democratic price, but it will become more secure.

What makes Tesla management impressive

Speed, acceleration, range and impressive design are not all that Tesla electric cars are interested in. Here are just a few interesting facts about how control is implemented in them.

To control the functions and devices of the car, a touchscreen display located to the right of the driver is used. The operating system Ubuntu is hidden behind the graphical shell.

After connecting to the mobile Internet, the driver can use the built-in browser. Considering that the Model S has a 17-inch screen, it's more convenient to do this than from a smartphone.

The navigator remembers the location of each charging station that the vehicle has visited. True, this rule works only for official stations that are open mainly in the United States and several European countries.

An automatic system analyzes traffic. It determines how fast neighboring cars are moving, whether they comply with traffic rules and what potential threats they pose. Depending on this, the system offers the best route to the Tesla driver.

The software can be updated remotely. This will require a good internet connection and a few minutes of free time.

Some functions are available through the mobile app. Using a smartphone, you can turn on the heating of the passenger compartment in winter or find out at what stage the battery charging process is.

Tesla cars: pros and cons

Today Tesla is appreciated not only for its environmental friendliness, fast acceleration and original design, but also for its thoughtful safety. What about the downsides?

First: the price . Even the budget Model 3 did not change the situation: not everyone can afford a Tesla electric car.

Second: the difficulty of recharging . In the USA and Europe, the number of charging stations covers the needs of electric vehicle owners, but in Russia this is still a problem. A person who sets out on a long journey does not have to rely on the fact that every 300-500 km he will meet electric filling stations.

Third: management. If you're used to drive and active steering, Tesla will disappoint you. Here, the connection between the wheels and the steering wheel is poorly implemented, and an experienced motorist can experience pleasure only during acceleration.

Tesla and  Elon Musk in particular have been repeatedly criticized for too loud promises, opaque operating principles and excessive eccentricity, but this is a completely different story. Musk was the first to launch a cherry-colored Tesla Roadster into space as part of the SpaceX project, another company he owns.

What about the competitors?

Of course, Tesla isn't the only one in the world to make electric vehicles. It has many competitors, and their number will only grow further. The first electric vehicle to sell over 10,000 units by 2011 was the Mitsubishi MiEV. One cannot but recall the Nissan Leaf, a Japanese electric car that has been produced since 2010. Nissan set a world record in 2018 with 300,000 Leaf vehicles. They are most actively bought in the USA, Japan and Europe. A limited edition version of the Toyota RAV4 was released a few years ago. But the most active in recent years are the Chinese auto concerns. The PRC claims to be the world leader in the production of electric cars, although some of its electric cars are known only on the domestic market. Today, BYD, Geely, Chery, Zhidou, BAIC,

 The mobile device market regularly pleases users with interesting novelties. One of the most exciting innovations is flexible smartphones. However, flexible smartphone technology is still far from perfect. We figure out what successes the manufacturers have already achieved and what they still have to work on.

First attempts

A decade ago, all technology enthusiasts were shocked by the news: Nokia unveiled the concept of the world's first flexible smartphone. The presentation took place at the Museum of Modern Art, and for good reason: the concept was really impressive. A completely transparent case, a movable color display, the ability to bend in different planes and put on a wrist like a bracelet - it really looked like a living embodiment of the future. The developers called the upcoming miracle of technology Morph and promised that in just a few years the innovation would hit the shelves.

There was only one "but". The problem was that the smartphone concept is far from a finished product. In theory, everything looked amazing, but in practice the glass was not going to bend predictably, the processor, the camera matrix and the lens, too.

The idea had to be frozen. However, she still did not give rest to inventors, and in 2018 there was a new wave of attempts to create a miracle apparatus. Of course, I had to admit that it will not be possible to make a completely bendable device so far, therefore flexible smartphones are a somewhat conventional name, more precisely, they would be called foldable, but this does not sound so impressive.

First good luck

The Chinese became the pioneers. The first relatively successful attempt can be considered the Nubia Alpha model from Nubia, which showed something between a narrow smartphone and a watch with a touch strap. The device was made in such a way that the display could really be wrapped like a bracelet around the wrist. However, the pros ended there.

The next attempt was made by Royole. In January 2019, she introduced the FlexPai product, which was much more like a smartphone, but to call it “flexible” would be an exaggeration. FlexPai is more like a tablet that can be folded in half. It looked all the same impressive, but users found a number of very significant drawbacks in the device: too wide fold, poor image quality, the appearance of stripes and "nebula" on the display, freezing after folding.

How are things today?

On February 20, 2019, a new sensation happened: Samsung presented the Galaxy Fold . The device is similar to its Chinese predecessor FlexPai, it is also a kind of hybrid of a smartphone and a tablet, but without the obvious shortcomings that FlexPai upset.

True, the company's triumph did not take long to celebrate. Just four days later the firm Huawei has demonstrated its own development - a flexible smartphone  Mate the X . Its main difference is that it folds with the screen outward, and this, of course, captivates.

Each model of flexible smartphones has advantages and disadvantages, and only time will be able to make the final verdict, because so far none of them has passed a long and massive strength test.

But what in this area awaits us in the future? Perhaps in a couple of years the market will be flooded with flexible devices. Or maybe the idea will be put back on the back burner and for its new implementation they will start inventing new materials. So far, flexible smartphones may well expect the fate of clamshell phones: after all, where there is a fold, wear occurs, which means that the probability of breakage increases sharply. But let's hope that manufacturers have foreseen or successfully solve all possible problems, and soon we will all be able to carry a flexible and incredibly beautiful smartphone in our pockets.