The lock screen of your smartphone is the coolest new real estate in technology. Apple made the iPhone's lock screen the central element of iOS 16, providing customers greater control over its appearance and functionality. But Apple also demonstrated a future in which the lock screen is more than simply a security feature; it's becoming an additional surface on which businesses can place information, applications, and even advertisements. Apple is hardly the only firm considering this issue. Glance, a lock screen content firm, is already in negotiations with US carriers and aims to debut on select Android phones in the United States within the next two months.
With widgets and alerts, the fight for your eyes and attention has already left applications and moved to your homescreen. Now, it seems to be taking the next step: being the first thing you see when you switch on your phone, before you pick it up or unlock it. This may be excessive by at least one step.
If you've never seen a device running Glance before, you can think of it as a Snapchat Discover feed on your phone's lock screen. The startup provides a revolving collection of news headlines, movies, quizzes, games, and photographs that surface each time you turn on your phone's screen. Glance labels these multimedia cards "glances" and claims that customers consume them an average of 65 times each day.
Of course, it's all loaded with advertisements. Glance is a subsidiary of the Indian ad tech business InMobi Group. It has collaborations with many manufacturers, including Samsung and Xiaomi, and the business claims that their software is installed on more than 400 million phones around Asia. Peter Thiel is an investor in the business with Google.
In a particular view, Glance or anything like is a perfectly reasonable concept. You don't even need to unlock your phone to get news and information without continually switching between applications. You just rely on your smartphone to provide you with something engaging every time you turn it on. And a few non-intrusive advertisements won't harm, right? In any case, I purchased the Kindle with advertisements on the lock screen in order to save a few dollars, and it does not bother me.
Apple has reiterated this sentiment, stating that it believes a lock screen with additional features would help you use your phone less. Craig Federighi, Apple's software head, referred to the lock screen as "the face of your phone" and said that features such as Live Activities might make it simpler to get rapid information without unlocking your phone and exposing yourself to all the distractions within. "If you can obtain the answer at a glimpse, then you don't unlock," he added. "And once you've unlocked your phone, you practically forget why you were there to begin with! ”
However, by making this area available, these corporations are allowing applications and ads to reach even closer to you. Developers will undoubtedly create Live Activities that persist long after they are no more helpful, so as to capture your attention each time you unlock your phone. Platforms will discover methods to draw more of their information onto lock screens, seeking to lure you into the feed before you click a button.
In general, the majority of users do not alter their settings, and you can expect that developers will take advantage of this. When Glance debuted, InMobi CEO Naveen Tewari told Forbes, "Consumers will shift from seeking content to consuming what is offered to them." That's really dismal and definitely accurate!
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A Glance-like future is primarily a method for turning smartphones into ever more exclusive consumption machines. And is "easier access to many streams of mediocre material" a good objective? As we seek to reset our relationship with technology, I would argue that we should identify ways to create friction in order to provide you with the information you need when you glance at your phone. but also to assist you understand you had no need to check your phone. And if, as Federighi said, the purpose of the lock screen is to help you avoid distraction, then I cannot think of a worse idea than placing a TikTok-style video stream between you and your homescreen.
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Glance will undoubtedly face competition, but it already serves as an excellent illustration of where this is all heading. In June, it hosted Glance Live Fest, a three-day virtual event that took place just on the lock screens of users. To more than 70 million people, it broadcast concerts and interactive challenges, live lessons and interviews, and an abundance of live shopping material. It's like being transported to an opt-out music festival every time you get a text. That sounds annoying, aggravating, and just tiring.
Without a doubt, our lock screens might be improved. The concept of a "rolling list of alerts" is not ideal, and a drive for more customization will make many people pleased. But this area should be reserved for users alone, not another breeding ground for distractions and advertisements. We should regain control of our mobile devices, not cede more of it.
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