It’s the start of a new year, and I’m hoping that 2023 turns out better than I think it will. We’re in a bit of turmoil economically, but several fantastic Tech is coming to market this year that I’m looking forward to seeing.
The Consumer Electronics Show, which begins soon, will be the first major presentation of what’s to come — and based on the pre-briefings I’ve seen, there will be a ton of fascinating things coming out this year.
This week, let’s go over a bunch of it. Because I ran out of space in this column, I’ll get to my first Product of the Week for 2023 next week.
2023 Tech Industry Trends and Predictions
The previous several years have been difficult for a variety of reasons, the most serious of which is that governments failed to deal effectively with the epidemic. Shutdowns disrupted the supply chain, and when people returned, they wanted to purchase products, creating an imbalance between supply and demand that caused government agencies to manipulate interest rates.
Those chickens seem to be coming home to roost in 2023. We’ll have an unfavorable combination of purchasers with little money but increased production capability, resulting in excess inventories and, I predict, accelerated layoffs.
This is the moment for providers to ramp up demand-generating marketing in order to grab as much of the decreasing market as feasible. Nonetheless, most will reject this Business 101 lesson and instead limit demand creation, enabling those organizations who did audit Business 101 to earn a considerable share at the cost of others that reduced marketing during this period.
I believe that 2023 will demonstrate that demand management should include both a carrot and a stick, with the stick being high borrowing rates and the carrot being high savings rates. More work is required to modify views so that purchasing behavior changes quickly enough to offset the issue.
In addition to interest rate modifications, good communication with residents would have a more substantial, quicker impact on this sort of issue, which is mostly behavior-based in the first place.
Wars and it’s Effect in Tech
China will continue to be a concern primarily because its Covid responses are failing and its leadership is hesitant to seek assistance. China’s vaccinations look ineffectual, but instead of pursuing effective foreign vaccines, they are inundated with ill people.
These factors may push an ill-advised confrontation with Taiwan to divert attention away from internal difficulties. However, the lack of vaccination efficacy alludes to a larger issue in China and many other countries: the inclination to cover up problems rather than confront them. All of this shows that China’s military, like Russia’s, may not be as capable as Chinese policymakers think.
While the mechanics of the fight with Taiwan seem to be extremely different from those in Ukraine, covering up difficulties is common between Russia and China, perhaps leading to a similar stalemate between the two nations. However, as long as the war persists, Taiwanese manufacturing and Chinese exports will suffer, creating a new and even worse supply chain challenge.
Companies are taking significant steps to reduce their risk, but most measures I’ve seen, such as the CHIPS Act, will not mature until closer to 2025, leaving us vulnerable in 2023. Ukraine’s industrial capability is not projected to recover until two to five years after the conflict finishes. Since that has yet to happen, there will very certainly be shortages linked to Ukrainian manufacturing until 2023, such as ASIC chips, which remain a vital component of most electronics, including automobiles.
Electric Cars 2023 will witness significant growth in electric charging capabilities, as well as the introduction of second-generation battery and engine technologies with greater range and performance. However, we will fall short of making electric cars a true alternative for gas vehicles in terms of range.
Nonetheless, we will witness the introduction of next-generation electric vehicles as well as improvements to driver assistance and in-car entertainment capabilities. However, it seems that the most major alterations will likely take place in 2024 for the 2025 model year.
Consider 2023 to be the last year of the present generation of electric vehicles, and 2024 to be the start of the next generation of electric vehicles, which will most likely be delivered as 2025 models.
As a consequence, in 2023, I’d like to purchase used rather than new in anticipation of the more significant revisions for the 2025 model year launches. The exception would be vehicles from suppliers like Rivian and Lucid, who are currently developing vehicles we might call next generation, acknowledging the specific risks associated with purchasing cutting-edge technology.
Personal Flying Machines with Latest Tech
An astonishing number of electric flying personal leisure vehicles are expected to join the market. Some of these have previously appeared.
They basically employ drone technology scaled up to fly people, which results in some quite simple constructions and almost no abilities required to operate the devices under a recreational flying license. Where I reside, we receive frequent complaints about people flying ultralight aircraft over homes, which I’m sure will grow with the introduction of these new vehicles.
Nonetheless, they seem to be a lot of fun. I’m inclined to buy one for myself as a summer toy and, presuming I can withstand the cold, as a near-perfect all-terrain vehicle in the winter. Just don’t run out of power at altitude.
Throughout the year, personal computers (PCs) will have their displays changed from multiple to rolling. Several announcements lately hinted about rolling displays.
The ability to suddenly enlarge your screen vertically or horizontally (doing both at the same time is currently beyond us) might be a game changer for those of us who suffer from screen size envy with our present laptops.
Expect more efficient chargers, a greater emphasis on overall sustainability, and a continual attempt to hit the sweet spot for PCs as a service (PCaaS).
Look for breakthroughs in recycling and customization this year as the industry navigates what is expected to be a particularly slow sales time as a result of enormous overbuying in recent years.
Smartphones with Latest Tech
A new Apple iPhone competitor is on the way, but I’ll write about it when it arrives.
Expect rollable screens to appear before the end of the year, as well as advancements in camera software aimed at making you seem better and assisting you in creating better-looking avatars to be packed with the newest phones.
Real-time video streaming upgrades and functionalities will develop, and we should see the next generation of AI-powered digital assistants by the end of the year.
Conversational AI has significantly improved since Siri’s inception, and we should start seeing the advantages across most platforms next year.
As the year continues, expect wireless charging advances in premium line phones.
Collaboration and videoconferencing Tech
The uncertainty over whether people would stay at home or return to work screwed with this portion, and I don’t see a light at the end of the tunnel just yet.
As a consequence, solutions will be various, with some focusing on enhancing the experience in big areas and others on improving the experience in the house.
Expect substantially better camera tracking with cameras, improved noise isolation with microphones and speakers, and significantly stronger audience monitoring features, which will certainly land folks who play video games during Zoom conversations in hot water (yes, we know you do this).
At least one manufacturer will almost certainly come up with a novel solution to the camera location issue using built-in and aftermarket cameras.
Metaverse
The metaverse is a shambles, owing primarily to Meta’s first implementation. This is paradoxical since once matured, the metaverse will be able to communicate a picture of the future better than any previous technology.
Meta may eventually figure this out and, instead of presenting where it is, begin to demonstrate what it will be. Nvidia has been doing this for a while in the business area, which, although fascinating, has yet to reach the majority of us.
As a result, if Meta does not step up to communicate a vision, the consumer side of the metaverse will decline in 2023, waiting for a company to blend the metaverse’s power into its ability to convey its benefits and the compelling nature of what it will become, rather than the disappointment of what it is now.
Robotics and artificial intelligence
2023 will be a watershed moment for AI and robots. I’m putting these technologies together because this year will see AI-powered personal robots go well beyond the first wave of robotic vacuum cleaners.
I anticipate robotic security systems, robotic snowblowers, and a rising number of robotic personal assistants. More robotic bartenders, french fry machines, and the first realistic prototypes of automated fast-food establishments will also be on display.
While we will still be at the very beginning of the robotic wave, by the end of 2023, we should have a much better picture of where this technology is headed and how rapidly it will overwhelm us with robotic options.
The healthcare business will witness significant growth in the application of artificial intelligence. AI will be utilized more broadly to develop novel treatments and cures, as well as to offer conversational AI interfaces for patients who need assistance more swiftly than the ever-shrinking medical workforce can deliver. I’m just getting over the sick as I write this, so this medical AI advancement is quite exciting.
Televisions in Tech
The genuine advent of 8K TVs will occur in 2023, and we will see more cheap rollable display TVs in limited quantities. We’ve seen 8K and rollable TVs in the past, but largely as prototypes. Both technologies are currently in production, enabling them to enter the high-end market.
Because of advancements in upscales, we will have fewer issues with 8K TVs than with the 4K TVs that came before them. While these sets will attract a lot of attention, sales will most certainly be hindered by cost until costs fall considerably below what I predict in 2023. However, by the end of the year, at least one of these two technologies may have entered the mainstream.
I believe that 2025 will be the year when 8K and rollable display TVs demonstrate their potential. It will take at least that long to reach a critical mass of content and rollable screen production capability in order to supply the customer with the convergence of content and technology as a value.
Finishing Up 2023 Tech Industry Trends and Predictions
These forecasts are far from comprehensive. I didn’t include the impending shift from air to train travel in Europe, Twitter’s likely demise as a result of Elon Musk’s purposefully terrible pick for a new CEO, or advancements in both broadcast power and microgrids next year. We also have the resurrected promise of fusion power, but I estimate it will take until the second part of the decade to see widespread testing.
Until now, I haven’t included improvements in robotic people such as robotic companions because I still find them disturbing, autonomous cars since they won’t be widely available until 2025, or robotic pets, which will become more prevalent in the next years. Agriculture breakthroughs with robots and vertical farms, increases in disease detection, and the growing problem of keeping private items private will all be continuing themes.
Overall, I anticipate that 2023 will be especially challenging for organizations that either don’t understand their market or pull back too much on-demand creation financing, enabling their rivals to maneuver around them.
Consider the year to be a game of musical chairs, but with money instead of chairs. There will be a smaller pool of accessible spending money, and companies that do not compete for every cent will most certainly fail.
I wish you and your family the best in the next year, while getting through 2023 may be the most realistic possible objective for what might be a difficult year for most.