Every year companies showcase their most impressive and innovative products to large, targeted audiences at tradeshows. Unfortunately, due to Covid-19, tradeshows have been postponed/cancelled until 2021 to ensure the safety of all the visitors. This article will look at significant trends that took place in 2019 at tradeshows and see where they are now. Was it five minutes of fame, or did they go the distance?
5G
Last year 5G took centre stage and s big players within the industry such as Qualcomm, Intel, Samsung and Cisco announced their investment within this field. The super-speed 5G is 100x faster than the current 4G network and the next-generation network will have a considerable impact on future developments. Fast forward one year and how far has 5G advanced? It is now in many countries across the globe and multiple mobile networks and phones can support the super speed network. 5G speeds vary depending on locations, countries, carriers and devices, but wherever you are, you can expect much faster internet speeds than what is currently offered on 4G.
The increased network speed has many benefits for consumers including faster download and upload speeds, improved streaming of online content, higher-quality voice and video calls, improved reliability for mobile connections, and expansions of advanced technologies. However, the integration of the 5G network has not been plain sailing as there have been anti-5G campaigners who have concerns over the safety with regards to radiation. Research shows that there is no scientific evidence of any risks from 5G.
Foldable smartphones
Foldable smartphones are one of the largest changes in the smartphone industry. Over the past year, companies have been racing to release their new foldable smartphone product; however, there was a couple of false starts. The most memorable was the release of Samsung’s first foldable phone, which set consumers back $2,000. There were many reports of faulty phones with broken screens and ended up with Samsung cancellng pre-orders and went back to the drawing board to refine the product.
Today there are currently five foldable phones on the market that you can buy;,this includes the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip, Motorola Razr, Samsung Galaxy Fold, Royole FlexPai and Huawei Mate X (China only). It is worth noting that the price range for these phones starts at $1,380. However, with more companies jumping on the bandwagon, you can expect to see more of these phones being released throughout the year.
AR and VR
Advances within 5G will further boost the potential of XR within the entertainment industry, this means that 5G should be fast enough to stream VR and AR data from the cloud. XR is set to transform the healthcare industry; it has already been adopted by therapists, where it is used to treat patients with phobias and anxiety disorders. It is also beneficial for helping those who have autism through aiding and developing their social and communication skills. It can also diagnose patients with visual or cognitive impairments, by tracking their eye movement. The adoption of AR within healthcare is forecast to grow rapidly with the market value rising by 38% annually until 2025. AR and VR will transform our educational experiences as the immersive nature of VR makes it more engaging for pupils, and AR brings new flexibility to on the job training.
These are just a few of the trends that we saw last year, haven’t they come a long way? What a difference a year makes, plus with coronavirus creating a ‘new normal,’ companies will no doubt come up with new and innovative technologies to adapt to our new way of life. Although there are no tradeshows this year, hopefully, we will be able to see you all in 2021 and in the meantime, we will keep our eyes peeled for all of the trends that are happening this year.
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