5 Cool Technologies We May See in 2017
Consumer technology has become one of the most interesting and lucrative sectors of the global economy. Each year, tech analysts around the world start preparing for the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January for the purpose of getting the first glimpse at the new gadgets and services that will capture the most attention during the year. Here are five consumer tech developments to look forward to in 2017:
Watching the Chinese Tech Market
There was a time when the U.S., Japan, Korea, and Europe dominated the consumer tech scene. In 2017, China will be the undisputed tech champion, and this will lead to a number of gadget trends that will resonate with consumers well beyond the Great Wall, particularly with regard to smartphones. While retail chains will stick to Samsung and Apple, independent shops will stock their shelves with brands such as Huawei, Xiaomi and others.
Artificial Intelligence
The integration of AI in 2017 will be mostly seamless. Tech giant Google will lead the pack with solutions such as the Google Now mobile environment and the Google Allo messaging app, which feature different versions of the intuitive and powerful Google Assistant. Microsoft and Apple will try to catch up with their own assistants, and Amazon may have a surprise in store with Alexa.
Virtual Reality
With Oculus Rift and HTC headsets gaining popularity, tech manufacturers are looking forward to developing VR products that are less cumbersome and demanding in terms of processing power. Google Daydream is a good step forward in this regard, but the future of VR is more likely to be more similar to the defunct Google Glass project. A couple of Chinese tech firms have promised lightweight VR gear for 2017, but this remains to be seen.
A SIM Card Shift
With Apple reportedly getting ready to offer dual-SIM card iPhones and China trying to establish an internal SIM registry, 2017 will be an interesting year for this wireless communication standard. German automaker Mercedes Benz plans to add a SIM card reader to the infotainment system of the G-Class collection; the idea is to completely integrate smartphones within luxury vehicles.
Voice and Audio Interfaces
Smart speakers such as the Amazon Echo and Google Home will not only become more ubiquitous, but also smarter in 2017. The key to future development of these devices will be to augment the speech recognition functions and the AI.
If you thought 2016 was a groundbreaking year for consumer technology, you will likely be presently surprised in 2017. It’s an exciting time to be alive as we see new technologies arise that may be the building blocks for life-changing developments in the future.
