Reimagining Smartphone Experience: How ‘Surfaces’ Can Play a Key Role in Making the Phone Smarter

By  Nimisha Jain Vipin Gupta Kanika Sanghi, and  Aarav Singhal
Article

The recent years have witnessed an unprecedented surge in smartphone usage, marked by a 35x increase in the number of apps and a 5x rise in smartphone sales since 2010. A typical user fires-up her smartphone 70-80 times in a day. 1 out of 2 times users pick up the phone they do so without knowing why they fired up their smartphone. BCG’s research reveals varying clarity of intent in three such unique journey types – Pre-Determined, Exploratory and Spontaneous. While ~50-55% times the consumer has no clarity of intent, ~45-50% of the times consumers are very clear on the task to be accomplished and 5-10% of the time consumers have partial clarity.

This BCG report delves into the concept of 'Surfaces,' defining them as AI-powered engines, driving interaction between users and apps which manifest as a rich, dynamic screen right from the start of a user’s phone journey. This surface-ecosystem comprises four key stakeholders: app developers, OEMs & telcos, brands & advertisers, and content creators. Within this framework, BCG explores how 'Surfaces' can present a unique opportunity for each stakeholder to deliver consumers a more seamless and smart experience on their phones – while driving serendipitous discovery.

Download the report