2021 is here and we can look forward to some amazing technology as well as some improvements on existing technology that became part of our lives in 2020.
We leaned pretty heavily on tech in 2020 during the global COVID pandemic and showed we could still work and learn from home as well as keep ourselves entertained.
There are lot of exciting trends and products heading our way in 2021.
Here’s what we can expect:
MORE FOLDABLE DEVICES
Samsung is already up to their third generation of foldable smartphones after the release of the Galaxy Z Flip and Galaxy Z Fold 2 last year.
This year there technology will improve even further with new sleeker models.
Other manufacturers like Oppo and TCL have already demonstrated rollable screen technology that allows a smartphone to grow to the size of a tablet and shrink back to a smartphone.
Expect to see these come to market in late 2021.
Brands like Apple are now quite ready to dive into the foldable market this year but there are reports that two foldable iPhone prototypes have passed internal durability tests.
Rumours are Apple has also sent these prototypes to its Foxconn factory in China to test the folding strength with 100,000 opening and closing tests.
But it will be 2022 at the earliest before we can expect to possibly see a foldable iPhone or iPad device.
BENDABLE LAPTOPS
Folding screens are not restricted to just smartphones. Laptops will also adopt this technology in 2021.
In fact, Lenovo has already unveiled its X1 Fold which is basically a 13.3-inch tablet that bends in half to be used as a laptop.
There will be other computer companies that will showcase this technology so users can have a virtual keyboard and trackpad on the lower half and the screen up top.
And then when you need a tablet all you need to do is fold it flat again.
M1 iMAC
We already saw Apple’s new M1-powered MacBook Air, 13-inch MacBook Pro and the Mac Mini released late last year.
But it’s the iMac with the M1 chip that is coming in 2021.
There have been persistent rumours that Apple will release a completely redesigned iMac and it is likely it will also have the M1 processor under the hood.
The M1 processor, Apple’s very own silicon and system on a chip, provides remarkable speed and performance improvements as we saw in our reviews of the MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro.
So we can only imagine the improvement the M1 will bring with the iMac.
MORE 5G
The rollout of the 5G networks across Australia grew significantly in 2020 and the networks will near completion in 2021 with most of the major capital cities and regional areas being able to access the faster 5G network.
Those customers who invested in a 5G device in 2020 will enjoy that early adoption even more as the speed and capacity of 5G becomes accessible in even more places around the country.
All of the flagship and upper mid-tier phones released in 2021 will also be 5G compatible.
5G received a huge boost of awareness among customers after Apple released the iPhone 12 – its first 5G-compatible smartphone.
5G will also play a bigger part in home broadband connections as an alternative to the NBN with Telstra, Optus and Vodafone giving this option to customers in 2021.
TVs EVEN SMARTER AND MORE 8K
Our televisions were the most valuable product we owned in 2020 during the pandemic and we used it to stay entertained, stay fit and stay in touch.
In 2021, new technology will make the picture and audio quality even better to enhance the in-home experience even further as more blockbuster movies are released directly to the major streaming services instead of cinemas which were deserted in 2020 because of the COVID outbreak.
Another enhancement will be gamer-friendly so gamers with the latest PlayStation and Xbox Series X can play their games in the highest quality and refresh rate and in 8K.
8K will become even more mainstream as more 8K content becomes available on streaming, gaming and broadcast.
The Tokyo Olympics held over from 2020 will be broadcast in glorious 8K.
SMART HOME PRODUCTS CONTINUE TO EXPAND
The number of smart home products we’re connecting will expand dramatically in 2021.
Customers have embraced the smart home ecosystem in 2020 and they will be looking to build on that this year.
It all started with the explosion in popularity of smart speakers and now customers are realising the potential of making their homes even smarter and more power efficient.
In 2021, not only will there be even more smart products available but they will also become more affordable as the size and value of the market grows.
These products are no longer for the early adopter – they have truly become mainstream.
BYO POWER BRICKS
Apple started the trend of not including a charger when it released the iPhone 12 and we can expect to see other companies including Samsung adopt the same strategy.
This will not only slightly reduced the price of these new smartphones but also have a significant environmental benefit as well.
Third party charger manufacturers like Belkin and Cygnett will see significant growth as customers look for alternative charging products.
The number of wireless charging products will also increase as users take cables out of the charging equation all together.
