2018 was an incredibly exciting year for the tech industry, which saw a plethora of advancements. These include the foundations of artificial intelligence (AI) being laid, robots helping around the home, and consumer electronics innovations such as TVs that are so thin they could be mistaken for windows or paint. And 2019 promises to be another significant year as people's attitudes change and technology becomes embedded in our lives. Here's a look at the biggest tech trends of 2019.
The most anticipated tech news of 2019
All forms of life can change with technology in 2019
Faster data connectivity, smartphones with a bold new look and more reasons to root for sporting events? These are just a few of the reasons why we anticipate 2019 to be another exciting year in tech.
Folding smartphone
We could be getting our hands on a Samsung foldable smartphone very soon - the South Korean tech giant gave the world a glimpse of a working prototype at the Samsung Developer Conference in November.
According to Justin Denison, senior vice president of mobile product marketing at Samsung, the prototype measures 18,5 cm diagonally. The new design will give users the experience of having a pocket-sized device – with a 4,6-inch screen when folded – that can be unfolded to reveal a larger 7,4-inch screen, a feature Samsung has dubbed the InfinityFlexDisplay.
Sources told South Korea's Yonhap news agency that Samsung plans to officially launch the device, known as the Galaxy F, as Samsung has yet to officially name it, at an event in March. Other companies looking to release a foldable smartphone include Huawei and Sony.
Speaking of Galaxy smartphones, Samsung also has another highly anticipated release in 2019 which is the flagship Galaxy S10. Some leaks suggest that we could expect a device with a greater bezel-less feature across the screen – leaker claimed the model will have a 6,7-inch screen – multiple rear camera setup and, interestingly, a perforated screen design on the front to the Camera.
samsung galaxy 10
The South Korean tech giant is expected to unveil the Galaxy S10 in February 2019, likely at Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Spain. Rumors suggest that there are plans to show the Galaxy F at MWC, before its official launch in March.
Internet 5G
The dawn of 5G network connectivity is just ahead of us. This new technology promises significantly faster data transmission speeds and capacity, less waiting for an online task to complete (also known as lower latency), and can connect more smart devices and sensors simultaneously than ever before.
5G internet is currently in the final stages of testing, and ready to offer data speeds up to 50 or even 100 times faster than current 4G networks.
Internet 5G
To test real-world 5G speeds, Qualcomm ran a simulation to approximate real-world 5G speeds in Frankfurt and San Francisco, taking into account various factors such as geography, user demands on the network, and devices with different levels of LTE and 5G .
The tests yielded deeper speeds, but still much better – in Frankfurt, browsing speeds rose from 56Mbps for 4G to 490Mbps on 5G, with download speeds of 100Mbps for over 90% of users compared to 8Mbps on LTE. In San Francisco, browsing speeds jumped from 71Mbps for the 4G user to 1,4Gbps for the 5G user, while download speeds reached 186Mbps on 5G, compared to 10Mbps on 4G.
Since 5G is a brand new technology, users will have to upgrade to new smartphones – to that end, one of Samsung's upcoming Galaxy S10 variants must be 5G capable.
In addition to high-speed mobile and data services, experts agree that 5G is essential for the next phase of technology development such as self-driving cars and the advancement of industries such as healthcare, virtual and augmented reality and more.
In September, Portugal's mobile operator Vodafone demonstrated how a live 3D holographic call is possible with 5G at the Vodafone Future Ready Conference in the UK. In the demo, English footballer Steph Houghton appeared as a hologram, to give an 11-year-old fan some game tips. This exchange shows how technology could change the way people communicate with each other, with more opportunities for remote training, and enabling more immersive interactions with famous personalities.
In Malaysia, the Minister of Communications and Multimedia, Gobind Singh Deo, announced that Putrajaya and Cyberjaya are the testing grounds for nationwide 5G trials. The year-long trial began in November, and the findings will help the government develop plans and policies about 5G network use in the country.
GAMES
In 2019, get ready for the possible release of a new Nintendo Switch console. The WSJ reported that Nintendo plans to release a new version of its video game.
Nintendo Switch 2019One of the biggest news of 2018 was Sony's announcement that it will not be attending the 2019 E3 Expo, a first for 24 years. Instead, the company shared that it will be "engaging with consumers and the community in different ways", with unconfirmed rumors that the company may be holding its own event to announce details about the PlayStation 5.
PlayStation 5
The PS5 may include upgrades to support 60FPS (frames per second) at 4K resolution and will run on next generation AMD graphics cards. Sony may also be announcing details about the PlayStation VR2 – updates could include better controllers, new built-in cameras and gloves for a greater VR experience.
One company that does not give up E3 in 2019 is Microsoft. There's a lot of speculation that the company will use the event to announce details about two new next-gen Xbox consoles. Users can also expect a cloud-based, streaming-only version of the Xbox One S in 2019, which could be announced next month.
Xbox 2019
Microsoft is also expected to reveal more details about Project xCloud, a Netflix-style streaming service for Xbox games. Not to be confused with Xbox Game Pass, Project xCloud - currently in beta testing mode - will make Xbox games available across PCs, smartphones and consoles.
Gamers can also look forward to major game releases in 2019 – Like the Kingdom Hearts 3: The Last Of Us 2 and luckily the death stranding, star-studded by Hideo Kojima.
For mobile gamers there is the 2019 version of the game Harry Potter Wizards Unite AR by Niantic, the same developer behind Pokémon Go. The game will allow users to find characters and creatures from the books of Harry Potter, cast spells and solve mysteries.
Augmented Reality (AR) everywhere
AR technology isn't exactly new to platforms like Snapchat and Instagram, with their selfie filters, but we could be getting access to more than just digital masks in 2019.
In May, Facebook announced a new version of its AR Studio tool for content creators and developers. The tool is made to design AR animations, visuals and camera interactions with Facebook. Along with existing features like AR Target Tracker and free sound files, Facebook said it will add other features like Body Tracking, Hand Tracking and analytics for AR effects. So you can expect more AR elements in the photos or videos your friends share on Facebook.
AR could also be part of more live experiences like concerts and sporting events in 2019. Rapper Eminem incorporated AR into his live performance at the Coachella music festival in April.
The public could see visual enhancements in AR added to the show by downloading the app Eminem Augmented.
In terms of games, something exciting is brewing at Niantic. The company announced that it is investing in a holographic augmented reality display – technology developed by waveguide company DigiLens, which specializes in lightweight plastic AR displays. For users, this could mean that Niantic is looking to improve game interactivity with an AR device such as smart glasses.
Source: curtador.com.br/ivXY7
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