Will Smartphones Ever Overtake Desktops In Power?

It's no secret that, as of the past few years, the number of smarphone users has far outstripped the number of regular laptop or desktop users. Currently, smartphones just have limits that desktop machines don't, although with constant tech advances, could that situation be coming to an end?

The Current Capabilities of Smartphones

Taking the current generation of smartphone, at first it doesn't feel like there's anything that they can't do. The latest models have cameras that put laptop versions to shame, not to mention better quality microphones and speakers. They also have the video capabilities to handle software that's identical to the PC version in a lot of cases.

The Current Capabilities of Smartphones

Take for example casino games. These are no longer just basic slots with rudimentary graphics; they contain as much graphical detail as any licensed title on the App store. If you look at some of the titles in a major games lobby like with Paddy Power Bingo slot games, you'll see a number of high-end productions that could rival some major developers, and each and every one is designed for smartphones first.

The portability is also an obvious plus, especially with access to mobile data services, which are growing more powerful every year with the current 5G rollout. The need for streamlined user interfaces and clear controls necessitated by the form of a smartphone has also made the average mobile app much easier to operate than a lot of PC equivalent software.


The Limitations of Smartphones

The simple fact is that the size of the average smartphone is currently a major limitation in and of itself. While there is a lot of power packed into the small rectangles, more than most people would ever think, the laws of physics still work against it.

To explain this, look first at the latest graphics processing units for PC. These are often at least eight times larger than a standard smartphone on their own, have multiple cooling fans pre-installed and even then, they still reach heats of up to 80 degrees Celsius just by operating normally. If uncooled they would exceed 100 degrees easily, and recent issues with Nvidia cards have shown just how hot they really can become.

The Limitations of Smartphones

Essentially, for a smartphone to be able to run the kinds of high-intensity software that PCs do, such as graphics, video or program compiling applications, it would currently need to sacrifice all portability to even come close. A device at the current size would effectively melt with that much processing power running through it.


Can the Situation Change?

One thing that smartphones have going for them is that tech companies are putting a lot more effort into mobile technology than desktop tech, and we're expecting to see a lot of advancements coming from market leaders Apple and Samsung in the next few years, and the chances are that at least someone in the world is working on electronics small enough to deliver power in small devices.

In the end, the biggest advantage to smartphones is that we're nowhere near the limits of finding out what is possible with them, and with enough time we could well see the desktop becoming obsolete entirely.

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