Digital technology is evolving at a rapid rate. Something that was once considered innovative can quickly become passé, particularly in the smartphone world. Statista data backs up this point. As per the stats, there are now more than 3 billion smartphone users around the world. As more people gain access to this technology, the rate of innovation will increase. Indeed, we live in a world of supply and demand. As more people demand more from their mobiles, developers will deliver. This is a trend that has accelerated in recent years to the point where smartphone technology has progressed faster than almost any other.
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Take, for example, passcodes. The first iPhone introduced this feature but it quickly had to be updated because the lock could be bypassed by double tapping the home button. The system of entering four digits to unlock the phone soon evolved into a six-digit combination. From there, Touch ID allowed users to swap numerical codes for fingerprints. Now, on the latest iPhones, Touch ID has been replaced by Face ID. In the space of a decade, iPhone security has gone from a fairly rudimentary system of passwords to biometric data and facial recognition.
Standing Still Isn’t an Option for Mobile Apps
The average desktop computer or laptop hasn’t progressed nearly as much in this regard. That doesn’t mean they haven’t improved in general. However, most users still have to type in a password to unlock their device. Therefore, in this regard at least, smartphones have evolved at a much faster rate than their desktop counterparts. Because of this, companies that have mobile products have been forced to move with the times. Standing still and expecting customers to stay with you when there are new features available somewhere else is a recipe for failure. You can see this play out in the sports betting industry. The best betting apps for iOS and Android devices all feature the latest mobile innovations. For example, as noted by SBO, 888sport offers live mobile streaming.
This means that users can watch live sporting events via their smartphone and place bets at the same time. The advent of mobile streams is thanks to improvements in the display quality of modern devices. For example, the iPhone 12 features Super Retina XDR OLED, HDR10, and Dolby Vision. On top of this, it has a screen resolution of 1170 x 2532 pixels and a ppi density of 460. When you combine these features with faster internet speeds, including 5G, you can see why live streams are not only possible on mobile devices but popular. Indeed, if we go back five years, online sportsbooks didn’t offer this type of service. Today, they’re used by all the leading brands.
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This culture of moving with the times isn’t just confined to hardware. Because modern mobiles are slicker and more efficient, betting operators have been able to introduce new features. For example, cashouts are now a major part of the industry. Users can end a bet before its natural conclusion for a price. In other words, the system is able to assess the value of someone’s bet in light of the current dynamics and make a cash offer. If the user accepts the offer, the bet is over. If they don’t, it continues as normal. Without smart algorithms that can perform on-the-spot calculations, this wouldn’t be possible. Like live streams, cashouts are now a staple feature of the latest mobile sportsbooks, despite being almost unheard of five years ago.
Tapping into the Mobile Market is Essential
Of course, the need for companies to evolve isn’t unique to the betting industry. Every business has to embrace the latest trends and innovations to remain competitive. However, changes in the mobile sector are marked. Even outside of gambling, we’ve seen gaming companies tap into the evolving dynamics of the mobile market. Razer, for example, released a universal game controller add-on in 2020.
Dubbed the Razer Kishi, the mobile accessory clips to both ends of an iPhone and turns it into a handheld gaming console. Much like betting companies have used the latest smartphone features to their advantage, Razer has done the same. The iPhone 12 has a 4-core graphics card and the Hexa-core processor that clocks speeds of 3.1GHz. Samsung’s Galaxy S21 is just as powerful with 2.9GHz processors and the Mali-G78 MP14 GPU.
Based on those stats alone, the latest smartphones are capable of running video games better than some laptops. Therefore, it makes sense for Razer to create a product that taps into these capabilities. Smartphones have long since passed the point where they’re accessories. They’ve replaced desktop computers in many ways and will continue to do so in the coming years. That’s the main reason tech companies have to stay on the cutting edge. Online bookmakers are a great example of this and will continue to show other industries the benefits of embracing mobile innovations.