The last couple of years have been eventful, to put it mildly. We’ve especially seen this in the tech industry, with the discovery of how much computing devices and connectivity are needed to keep our lives running as smoothly as possible in such unprecedented times. 2022 is likely to be as full of tech as previous years; however, it may present itself in ways that we may not have seen before.
Here are just a couple of our technology predictions for the next year:
Robots and Automation
Whilst robots have come more into the forefront over the last couple of years, predictions for 2022 have seen them become more of an advanced possibility. 2022 may not necessarily bring full automated Android helpers, it may help to bring automation in other forms.
Labour shortages are expected to continue into 2022, leaving many companies scrambling to find skilled workers and resources. Robotics offers a solution that may help to solve such issues and will increase the application of such technologies alongside AI.
Cloud Applications & Hybrid Working
With companies committing to this new hybrid working environment, there needs to be a prioritisation between scale, speed, privacy and security. New investments into cloud options will appear in order to support remote employees, provide the ability to grow and allow companies to easily adapt in such an uncertain world. Tools, based on AI and machine learning, will be able to help remote workers whenever a problem arises.
Additionally, Cloud platforms like Azure allow businesses to build new application architectures that are resilient and agile – enabling rapid responses and scalability to demand change.
On the other side, the video collaboration industry will step up to meet these remote challenges, to the point that AI-driven innovations could make the video experience even better than being in the room.
Second-hand devices?
We’re likely to see a surge in pre-owned, second-hand devices. Not only as a means to save money but also as an initiative towards positively affecting the environment – older devices tend to have more useful lives for longer than the constant renewal of newer ones. Additionally, with the global chip shortage affecting numerous companies, wait times for new devices have been considerably longer than usual. However, there’s little time to wait if you’re going after a refurbished device.
Connectivity
What will be most prominent is the Wi-Fi industry’s effort to make the 6 GHz band available for Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi 6E extends beyond the benefits of Wi-Fi 6 into the 6GHz band, to deliver fast speeds, low latency and high capacity, similar to the 5G network. Wi-Fi 6E is ideally suited to deliver augmented and virtual reality applications, as well as paving the way for a thriving, immersive, XR ecosystem
We’ll also see the adoption of more boosters. And no, not the vaccination kind. We mean Wi-Fi boosters; complaints about the wireless range of your router are all too familiar. Range extenders, also known as boosters, use the latest technology to bring reliable Wi-Fi to every room in your home or business. And with employees sticking to the remote working schedule, it presents a convenient way to ensure you stay connected at all times.
Travelling
2022 will likely see more of us holidaying abroad compared to the past 24 months. That’ll mean more handy mobile accessories, from fast-charging power bands and GPS trackers to noise-cancelling earphones to make those train and plane journeys more bearable. Plus, with the latest advancements in AI, translation apps and devices will most likely become more accessible and commonplace – we’ve already seen evidence of this in the new Google Pixel 6.
VR creativity
Widespread virtual reality (VR) always seems to be just on the horizon. With news of ‘metaverses’ hitting the headlines, we’ll most likely see creativity and forms of self-expression within the VR realm and developments on making such technologies more commonplace.
What the future will actually hold for us in terms of technology though, only time will tell.
