The most important tech advances to look forward to in 2018

A new year always brings with it a wave of exciting technology, gadgets, and innovations – and 2018 looks set to be one of the most exciting ever. Whether you’re a phone geek, a gamer, or just a gadget lover, the new year has got something exciting in store for you. Here is our rundown of the most important tech advances to look forward to over the next twelve months.

The Internet of Things

Many of us have smartwatches but that promises to be the tip of the iceberg. 2018 is expected to bring major advances in the connectivity of household appliances, revolutionising the way we live our lives. Bluetooth-connected alarm clocks currently link with speakers to give you a wake-up call but what if your toaster knew you’d woken up and automatically made you some breakfast? Maybe your kettle could get busy boiling your coffee too. A recent report suggested trillions of dollars will be spent on IoT development in the next five years alone.

“nexus one” (CC BY 2.0) by pittaya

Google Pixel 3

Billed as a rival to Apple’s incredible iPhone 10, Google’s own Pixel 3 is due to land sometime in October. Expect to see the Snapdragon 845 processor running the show, a 7nm chip that is faster and 30 percent more efficient than ever before, thanks to an octa-core Kryo 385 CPU. Those numbers will get all the tech-lovers excited but, to a layman, it means you’ll be able to surf all your favourite sites in double quick time.

Streaming

We are all used to streaming films and TV shows, but that is only the tip of the iceberg. Expect major developments in the way we view and deliver content over the coming twelve months. Far from just becoming a medium to view TV shows, streaming is becoming an important tool in business and enterprise too. Many companies are developing it, alongside AR, as a powerful presentation tool. For instance, the iGaming brand Betsson has adopted streaming tech for its live casino games, an innovation that has much greater appeal among millennials than classic pastimes like slots.

Virtual Reality

For as long as any of us can remember, Virtual Reality (VR) has been on the cusp of the mainstream. Now, the race is on to improve the hardware, with Oculus’ Santa Cruz looking to redefine the technology. As the products evolve, they’ll also become more cost-effective, and developers can hope to put them in many more homes before 2018 is finished.

Augmented Reality

Pokemon Go really was the gaming sensation of 2017 but the next twelve months looks set to deliver more exciting innovations in augmented reality (AR). Pokemon has hindered the development of AR in some ways, as many now see the technology as limited to chasing monsters and facilitating the use of dog-themed Snapchat filters. However, that is all set to change, as AR transcends novelty status and becomes a serious technology consideration for software development managers.

2018 promises to be a major year for technological advances, whether it is how we live our day to day life, how we entertain ourselves, or even how we go about our working day. Hold on to your hats; it’s going to be quite a year!