Genius Bar who? According to analysts, smartphones may be able to fix themselves within the next few years.
According to analyst firm CCS Insight, smartphones with “self-healing” capabilities may hit the market as early as 2028, CNBC reported.
The concept involves applying “nano-coating” on the display surface, which can repair minor scratches by creating a new material when exposed to air — kind of like reptiles that can regenerate wounded limbs or repair skin layers.
“This is not in the realms of science fiction, it can be done,” Ben Wood, chief analyst at CCS Insight, told CNBC. “I think the biggest challenge with this is setting expectations correctly.”
Though similar concepts have been explored by companies like LG, Motorola, and Apple, there are challenges in mass-scale implementation, including research and development costs and educating consumers about the extent of self-repair capabilities.
The focus is on fixing minor cosmetic damages rather than major structural issues, Wood added.
These “self-healing” smartphones have been in the works since at least 2017, according to data presented at a meeting of the American Chemistry Society.
This story originally appeared on Entrepreneur
