Bendable screens
Screens can be folded and unfolded, all thanks to Organic Light-Emitting Diode (OLED) technology. This paper-thin screen can even project from both sides of the screen. This bendable technology would create a more pocketable samrtphone wihtout having to comprimise screen size.
32 core processors
Every function a smartphone performs revolves around its brain power. Taking Moore's Law to its extreme conclusion, smartphones should be packing sub-20nm 256-bit, 32-core processors in five years. More likely, the upcoming battle between ARM and Intel (see Intel's potentially ARM-killing Silvermont) could give way to some new microarchitecture.
All-day battery life
Two developing technologies could produce power cells that could last for weeks without needing to be recharged. The first such technology is the hydrogen cell, which is being pursued by Apple as well as by a partnership between semiconductor maker ROHM, power-cell developer Aquafairy and Kyoto University. Perhaps more promising is a new technology called lithium-ion microbatteries. The developers of this technology at the University of Illinois claim lithium-ion microbatteries are 2,000 times more powerful than today's Li-ions, can be charged almost instantaneously and are powerful enough to jump-start a dead car battery.
Everything using NFC
Near-field communication on phones is gaining in popularity, but it's still a feature that's rarely used. Rarer still are NFC-enabled headphones, speakers or other tap-to-pair gizmos. Plus, mobile wallet adoption has been slow, perhaps because the iPhone still lacks NFC (ahem ahem Apple, you should speed that up) or because people don't trust their phone to secure their money
Wi-Fi everywhere
The Wi-Fi Alliance and the Wireless Broadband Alliance — along with several carriers, cable companies and hotspot provider Boingo — are all getting ready to roll out Passpoint-certified Wi-Fi. Also known as Hotspot 2.0 and Next Generation Hotspot (NGH), Passpoint promises automatic, seamless and secure connectivity to Wi-Fi Passpoint hotspots. No more scrolling through lists of available Wi-Fi networks, and no more wrestling with passwords, sign-in procedures or interstitial pages. Passpoint makes Wi-Fi connectivity as brainless as connecting to a cell network, and is due to start being rolled out later this year.