A year or 365 days is a long long time when in comes to developments in the field of technology. In 2018 we saw humanity making great leaps in artificial intelligence and blockchain technology, but they also raised several concerns on the privacy and security front. Thus, 2019 will be the game-changer in dealing with the red flags and moving on by adopting new and empowered gadgets. Here are some of the major changes we are expecting:
5G
This is no doubt the most discussed and most-awaited technology that is set to become a reality in 2019. In theory, 5G is capable of providing up to 100 times faster data speeds than the presently available 4G networks.
5G is not just about better network speed, the technology can enable virtual reality, self-driving cars, streaming 8K videos and more.
This will also require new 5G-enabled devices. They are already being developed by most major gadget manufacturers and you might hear about the launch of 5G-enabled device as early as February.
Considering India is not even fully 4G-enabled yet, it will be a little too much to expect 5G to take over the country like a storm. We will see the changes slowly and 2019 will set the ball running.
Fold is the new style
Remember the Motorola and Nokia flip phones that became half its size when folded? Well! The folds are expected to be back in style in 2019.
Samsung has already showcased a prototype pocket-sized smartphone which when unfolded will function like a tablet with a larger screen. Other companies are also working towards developing bendable and foldable devices.
Based on some leaks, Samsung may get rid of the notch in a future Galaxy model and replace it with a punch-hole front camera. In 2019 too, the trend of packing more powerful and better cameras into phones will continue.
eSports
Gaming is set to become an international sporting event. Yes, you heard it right! The times are not far when parents would regret scolding their kids for playing on their PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo. If you are still wondering what eSport is, then it is nothing but electronic gaming. Esport players play against each other, and during tournament events the game is displayed to a large audience on screen.
In 2018 Asian Games, eSports was featured as a demonstration sport. UK has a 24-hour TV channel dedicated to eSports. In the 2019 budget, the Malaysian government has announced a RM 10 million budget for the development of eSports. It will be a medal event in the 2019 South-East Asian Games to be held in Philippines. It is also expected to be a medal event in the 2022 Asian Games.
More advanced new gaming devices are also expected in 2019 from Sony, Microsoft and its likes.
AI and ML
Artificial intelligence and machine learning is not exactly a new thing. While virtual assistants Siri and Cortana would sound decades old to you, Alexa has become a family member in several houses. These devices have been learning from you in 2018 and in 2019 we expect them to do bigger roles. Amazon and Google have already showed how its AI-enabled products can order stuff for you, take care of the lighting in your home and be a personal assistant by organising stuff for you.
Soon, your smartphones will be able to recognise what it sees through the camera and even read out foreign languages to you. Alexa might automatically order for you detergent, coffee or cartridges for printers as and when they are about to get over.
This will also means that they are listening/watching all your conversation and storing in cloud to provide better results. Companies like Apple are experimenting to address this privacy concern by storing your personal data on your device itself rather than uploading to cloud.
Electric Vehicles
The transportation industry will get its first major jolt in 2019 with the introduction of electric vehicles. The Tesla models have been there for long now, but in India we still had to do with the Mahindra e20. Already, most of the car manufacturers have been testing and developing the e-cars, but the commercial availability was very limited. Hyundai, MG, Kia, Nissan, Mahindra and a whole lot of others are expected to launch their electric vehicles in the Indian market soon. The Indian government had set a target of 2030 to make all vehicles on road to be fully electric.
Electric vehicles if became popular will become a major disruptor in the economy. It will open up a whole lot of opportunities in the industry for job seekers and reduce the dependence on fossil fuels.
