A smartphone controlled by just looking. It’s not science fiction and it could even be released quickly. Impressive and a little creepy…
A surprising announcement was made by one of the biggest smartphone brands in the world, during an event organized by processor supplier Qualcomm: the imminent launch of a phone with revolutionary interaction capability, based on eye tracking. Called “Magic Capsule”, this technology promises an avant-garde user experience where applications could be opened simply by looking.
This innovation that we did not expect so quickly captivated the audience at the Snapdragon Summit 2023. A demonstration showed a woman interacting with an Uber application on her phone, only using her eyes. By changing the direction of his gaze, the application opened in full, illustrating the possibilities of this multimodal technology.
In addition to the Magic Capsule, the phone will feature several advanced artificial intelligence (AI) features. Among them, a virtual assistant capable of managing and modifying videos according to specific criteria, illustrating the strong integration of AI in this new device.
It is the Honor brand which will therefore be the first to adopt this eye control technology and the new smartphone announced by the brand is the Honor Magic 6. The innovation is such that George Zhao, the CEO of Honor he himself was at the presentation.
However, at the playing the very short presentation video, questions persist regarding the effectiveness and reliability of Magic Capsule technology. The demonstration did not establish how this functionality will work in practice. It is unclear whether gaze will be the only user interface or whether it will be combined with other gestures to ensure smooth and intuitive interaction.
The issue of confidentiality should not be neglected either. With a state-backed company like Honor, the phone’s ability to know where the user is looking could raise notable privacy concerns.
Despite these uncertainties, the Magic Capsule is received with interest and curiosity. It represents a remarkable advance, especially in terms of accessibility for people with disabilities, for example. It could be particularly beneficial in situations where users have their hands full, opening the way to enriched and diversified modes of interaction with smartphones, beyond traditional uses and AI chatbots.
The Honor Magic 6, with its share of innovations, is positioned as an expected device on the market. Although Honor has not yet revealed the precise release date of the Magic 6, according to Qualcomm, devices equipped with this visual control should be available in the coming weeks. All that remains is to wait and see how this promising technology will translate into real-world user experience.