Everything is so fast-paced now that technologies that we have been familiar with in the past can instantly be buried by newer and significantly better tech. While 2020 might have slowed things down a bit, there have still been a lot of progress made on the technological front. Here are some of the top amazing tech trends to watch out for in 2021:
Foldable Displays
When the Motorola Razr line was reinvigorated and re-released in 2019 last year with a foldable display, its popularity upon release was initially attributed to the fact that a lot of people were being nostalgic for late 2000s-style flip phones.
That might have been the case at first, but after the release of other similar phones like the Samsung Galaxy Fold, Huawei Mate X, Microsoft Surface Duo, and Xiaomi Dual Flex, what’s clear is that this trend is not about flip phone nostalgia, but more about people’s need for more phone real estate. Lots of phone users want more screen to play around with but didn’t necessarily want their phones to take up more space in their pockets. Hence the need for them to be folded. Expect more foldable phones from top smartphone manufacturers like Samsung, Oppo, LG, and Motorola in 2021.
Enhanced internet connectivity and 5G
As applications and software become more complex as time goes on, so does the need for faster internet. Like how 4G paved the way for widespread adoption of streaming technology (i.e. a technology that lots of us use on daily basis for entertainment in the form of Spotify, Twitch, and Netflix among others), 5G will also open up doors for more advanced technological applications.
While widespread 5G rollout is underway all over the world, some countries are taking it one step further. Japan (through NTT DoCoMo) and South Korea (through SK Telecom) are now deploying 6G for their internet users, a move which would further improve applications in XR (extended reality- an umbrella term that encompasses augmented, virtual, and mixed reality), telemedicine, and 8k resolution streaming.
Intelligence of Things
From “internet of things” (a common marketing buzzword a few years back that means having devices constantly connected to the internet), we now have “intelligence of things”. What this means is that it’s not enough that devices be connected to the internet, they’re now expected to be AI-enabled and autonomous too. Expect AI integration in devices (especially devices related to healthcare, vehicle automation, and drones) to speed up once 2021 rolls along.
Cheaper clean energy
While the downswing in solar energy prices has been forthcoming for some time now, experts believe that 2021 will be the year that we will see their prices at their lowest. Lower even than other “clean” energy sources like wind energy in some countries. A report from Bloomberg New Energy Finance predicts that solar power will be even cheaper than coal in countries like China and India in 2021.
Increased emphasis on cybersecurity
As companies moved the majority of their workforce online in the midst of the pandemic, the need for cybersecurity has become more apparent. The global cybersecurity market is worth $173 billion this year, and this figure is expected to grow exponentially in the coming years. Job opportunities in the field are growing more than twice faster than any other area in the tech world.