It is the day before Christmas and the festive season has been in full swing, but with less than 10 days left of 2013 – a look at the technology crystal ball is in order:
- Apple and Samsung will continue to battle one another in all facets of electronics. May it be cellphones, tablets and notebooks, Samsung will continue to push Apple to create wonderful products. The companies will unveil new flagship cellphones in 2014 – Apple are rumoured to be launching a 5” iPhone 6 and Samsung’s Galaxy S5 will contain a curved screen.
- BlackBerry will most probably disappear as a consumer electronics brand. They have already stopped work on 2 new phones that were to be specially made for the emerging market. BlackBerry I suspect they will focus on the enterprise.
- 2014 is the year in which connected devices grow in worldwide devices. Smart watches, smart fridges and smart health devices will be seen in a much more consumer facing way. Customers will take time to realise that smart devices are a reality, that will be heavily invested in by technology companies.
- The race for better battery life for tablets and cell phones will continue between all the manufacturers. Batteries are still a problem for smart phone owners globally and with the newest smartphones being able to process more data for photography etc. Acquisitions will most probably continue in this space as well.
- Who becomes the new CEO of Microsoft? That is the million dollar question as the replacement for Steve Ballmer is still not resolved. Microsoft have a defining moment occurring in 2014 as the company aims to become a dominant business in the technology space.
- HP and Dell will continue to struggle dealing with the “post PC” world and will either down-size or acquire tablet manufacturers from Asia.
- 3D printing will also become more mainstream and less expensive. Can you imagine being able to print a knife that you can use in your kitchen?
2013 has been a great year for technology! 2014 I suspect will be even better.
