The Covid-19 pandemic is affecting markets, industries and economies all over the world, and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and smartphone companies are not exempted, and some of them are currently taking active steps to embed new features that will be necessary for users during and after the pandemic.
Although the smartphone industry has over the last few months seen a major decline in production; as many smartphone manufacturers have facilities in China and rely on the country to supply components, as well as disruptions in sales because people would rather buy essential items at this time, and changes in usage patterns, it has become more important for smartphone companies to update and upgrade features on existing devices rather than produce or release new devices.
Just last week, Apple, producers of iPhone smartphones and iPad tablets, updated its new iOS feature to assist Covid-19 protective measures. This new update allows Apple’s iPhone users to easily unlock their devices, even with their protective face masks on.
Face ID was introduced with the iPhone X (10), allowing users to unlock their phones using their facial image rather than fingerprint or password feature that was available in its previous devices.
However, with the new iOS 13.5, the iPhone quickly detects if the user has a mask on, and immediately goes straight to the passcode screen for you to unlock your device. This new update makes `using your phone easier, as you do not have to wait until Face ID fails to recognise a face multiple times before you can access the passcode screen.
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According to reports from SkyNews, Apple is also working on other features to tackle the coronavirus pandemic.
A source at Tecno Mobile tells BusinessDay that the smartphone company which is always working on something new will definitely find ways to incorporate the new normal, post Covid-19 into its subsequent devices.
“We are clearly known for innovative technology solutions that address the current needs of users, so I wouldn’t be surprised if the new Tecno devices allow people to unlock their phones using passcodes even with their gloves on. Already our latest devices allow for contactless answering of calls and device unlock with iris scan which can be used with face masks on,” the source said.
In April, Apple and Google announced a system for tracking the spread of the new coronavirus, allowing users to share data through Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) transmissions and approved apps from health organizations.
It is expected that by mid-MayApple and Google will introduce a pair of iOS and Android APIs and make sure these health authorities’ apps can implement them. During this phase, users will still have to download an app to participate in contact-tracing, which technology experts say could limit adoption. But in the months after the API is complete, the companies will work on building tracing functionality into the underlying operating system, as an option immediately available to everyone with an iOS or Android phone.
Apart from smartphone companies upgrading features, technology software developers have also gotten to work to solutions that will aid a slowdown of the spread of the infectious virus.
As interest grows in smartphone technology as a potential key to ending lockdowns and re-opening economies around the world, various contact tracing apps to help track the path of a potential virus carrier and warning those who might have been nearby have been developed.
Singapore has already seen success with its ‘Trace Together’ application, and France is working on its own version called ‘Stop Covid’, Germany is working on its unique application even though Berlin is already using data collected by smart devices – ‘Corona-Datenspende’ which means Corona data donation uses information from smart watches and fitness trackers to build an interactive map showing the spread of the virus. France’s data protection authorities say their contact tracing software is designed to have a limited lifetime, and says it is necessary to protect people’s health. The program is also voluntary and needs people to opt in for it to work.
According to research from Oxford University, these apps will only be effective against the fight of the coronavirus spread if around 60 percent of the population choose to take part.
How the contact tracing apps work;
Once contact tracing apps are installed on mobile devices, it creates a unique, secure user ID and stores it locally on the device. With Bluetooth, the app notes down the IDs of other devices that have come within two metres over the last 21 days. If the phone’s owner becomes sick, the people they have come across are alerted and told to quarantine themselves. This technology aims to be less intrusive than other solutions because it does not need geolocation via GPS or relay antennas to work. It also doesn’t collect data on the user’s health or their list of contacts, and the encrypted user ID ensures that data remains anonymous.
In Nigeria, although Ogun State government recently rolled out a mobile application for members of the public to self-assess themselves for Covid-19, technology experts say more should be done by Federal and State governments to engage software developers for contact tracing solutions.
Tomi Coker, Ogun State commissioner for health said the application named “Ogun COVID-19 Assessment” is meant to determine the risk of resident’s exposure to the disease and not for diagnostic purposes.
