Responsive Concepts: Smartphones Influence On The Web

Smartphones have consumed majority of user interaction on the web. Three decades ago, you would have been lucky to have a computer. A decade later, you would have been fortunate to have internet. Now, both are available from your pocket. Even more astonishing, children of today will never understand life without a smartphone. This has forced internet design to a primarily focus on smartphones rather than websites. As smartphones become larger, the average consumer is no longer using personal computers for web browsing. Personal computers have been regulated to only being used when absolutely necessary. This is especially true in the case of tablets that show mobile versions of websites. It has been recently rumored that the IPhone X will be redesigned, again. Apple will be providing regular and plus versions, however, they are adding a new phone that is considered to be a mini tablet. You may have noticed 2 in 1 laptop being sold from companies that primarily sell personal computers. Instead of websites being designed for personal computers, websites are now designed for smartphones.

There is great fight between personal computers and smartphones. A great analogy for smartphones dominance is currency. Long before our time, people carried coin as currency. Just like the first computers and phones, the coins were heavy. It was convenient to have your money readily available. The biggest drawback is that it slows you down. The weight becomes work to carry around. Then the miracle of paper funds were introduced. Money was still readily available but now lighter. This made it more convenient to spend. Kids today may hear about the hard times their grandparents had with credit card debit. Having all your money on one card instead of carrying heavy coins or a ton of paper in your pockets. The problem of dropping money still exist with the coins, paper, and card. Now we have the ability to swipe our smartphones because it carries all the information from our bank accounts. We are going to carry our phones no matter what. That is the genius to why the smartphone is taking over various forms of real estate. Most technology is being built around the smartphone because it is a direct link to a person. This is why web is influenced by the undeniable smartphone.

Due to the size of the smartphone, designers have to make web pages for smaller screens than previous decades. This results in a convenience of faster upload speeds. This is especially important because more users are away from their wifi when they are on their smartphone. Phone “apps” are a direct result of the smartphone phenomenon. Apps  are essentially websites that are designed for smartphones. Apps provide better functionality for your smartphone when websites are not functioning properly. Some companies, like Instagram, only allow users to use the app for functionality. If a user were to login to their Instagram page they would not be able to upload photos like they could on their phone.  There are two versions of a website in the modern era. The first is the conventional website we view from desktops or laptops. The contemporary version is the one we view from our smartphones. Since the latter is so popular, we may see the end of the former. Particularly, due to technology advancing in the preference of smartphones. Conventional web was made for a user who was able to sit and thoroughly look over a site. Now, users are constantly on the move with their smartphones. Sites have to provide better organization, quick faster navigation, less detail, and explicit purpose. Smartphones have changed the future of web and life for all users.