Smartphone sales have been steadily declining in the past several fiscal quarters, making a noticeable 15% drop year-over-year in the first quarter of 2023. According to tech analysists, this is due to pandemic-related economic factors like inflation and chaotic supply lines paired with the fact that modern smartphones have plateaued in terms of design and capabilities. With such lackluster advancements, many customers have taken to purchasing new phones at a much slower rate.
In response to this downward trend, smartphone manufacturers have been attempting to drive interest and hype by experimenting with new form factors. An example of this is Google’s reported announcement of a $1,700 folding Pixel phone at its IO event on May 10.
On the health tech side, Apple is leading the charge with their product Apple Fitness+ which boasts Peloton-like features. Their product has been so successful that the company is now expanding the capabilities with health and fitness coaching. Emotion tracking and other health features may also emerge in a new version of the Health app on the iPad powered by artificial intelligence. This can be found on June’s Worldwide Developer Conference event.
In contrast to Apple’s successes, Amazon has decided to shut down their Halo product line which consists of fitness trackers and sleep-tracking alarm clocks. Despite this, Amazon has still been making progress in the health field with their telehealth service Amazon Clinic, and completed their acquisition of One Medical, a primary health care provider in February. They are also tapping into the $70 billion a year men’s grooming market by releasing ball cleansers, lotions, and deodorants for the male gonads.
Google is a multinational American technology company specializing in Internet-related services and products. It markets various services, including cloud computing, search engine, software, and hardware. Founded in 1998 by Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Google is noted for its unique corporate structure and culture, which are reflected in its 2013 motto “Don’t be evil”.
Mark Gurman is a technology journalist, currently employed by Bloomberg News. His work is focused on news from Apple, Google and other tech companies. Gurman has been a contributor to AppleInsider since 2011 and became a full-time staff writer in 2013. With his work, he has uncovered a range of Apple projects, including information on the upcoming Apple operating systems and new products in the Apple line. He was even featured on the front of the New York Times in April, 2020.
