The new year will be here before we know it, and with a new year comes new technological advancements hitting the market. From strides in artificial intelligence and autonomous machines, to consumer electronics, 2019 will be an exciting year for consumers. Here are some of the biggest tech trends we’re looking forward to.
1. Virtual Reality/Augmented Reality: While we mostly think of gaming when thinking of virtual and augmented reality, companies are finding massive opportunity with the use of VR and AR as well. This has already been seen with Virtualship, a maritime simulation software designed to train U.S. Navy, Army, and Coast Guard ship captains. Large companies like Walmart and Tyson have already started implementing VR and AR into their employee training programs. Walmart uses Oculus Go Headsets to train their employees within 3 key areas; technology, compliance, and customer service. With simulation methods proving to be more cost-effective in the long run, and VR headsets working on improvements, we can expect to see many more companies integrating VR/AR technology into their employee training programs for 2019.
2. Artificial Intelligence: Artificial intelligence has begun making its way into consumers’ homes around the world. With Alexa, Siri, and Google home occupying over 90% of the market share, there are bound to be many more voice-powered applications developed. Patrick Gauthier, Vice President of Amazon Pay, predicts that voice-powered interfaces will be a change to the shopping industry. “We are at the point of a big transformation,” says Gauthier. “With voice we are going to see different complementary experiences emerge.” He foresees voice being an integral part of executing recurring purchases and allowing consumers to use it differently around the house. AI isn’t only going to be affecting the way we start to do our shopping, but AI is also planning on being integrated into how we drive. Car manufacturers Kia and Hyundai are planning on including AI assistants into their cars. These AI-powered assistants will work very similarly to Amazon’s virtual assistant Alexa, being able to interpret suggestions like destinations and provide useful information such as weather or the news.
3. Multiple Lenses Smartphones: With the decreasing use of DSLR cameras and consumers preferring to use their smartphones for taking photos, it was only a matter of time before smartphone companies would start to make large advances to their cameras. While smartphone companies started with typical single-lens camera technology, more and more mobile companies are evolving to meet consumer demand for higher quality images. German camera manufacturer Leica is leading the charge in this arena. Partnering with Huawei resulted in the creation of the Huawei P20 Pro, the world’s first triple camera smartphone. Leica also invested in the Palo Alto camera company Light, which is about to be taking part in the multiple lens’s smartphone trend as well. Adapting the technology found in their L16 camera, Light is looking to create the first smartphone with nine lenses.
4. 5G Wireless: 4G is so last year, literally. The wireless giant Verizon has an edge on this upcoming trend as they have just released their 5G smartphone prototype and are hoping to place it into the Motorola Moto Z3. Other wireless companies are also planning on incorporating 5G wireless into their products. T-Mobile, who recently signed a deal with Nokia, is also working on their 5G technology and made plans to have their network in 30 cities by the end of this year. Sprint and LG have also announced that their combining forces with their plans for 5G technology, hoping to release the first 5G smartphone. With most wireless companies now in on 5G development, it will be interesting to see who comes out on top.
