The advancement of technology surprises us every year and 2017 wasn’t any different. With the coming of the new year, we get to look back all the digital milestones we have achieved that can only improve and bigger better this year.
From computers that wowed us with their lightning bolt speeds and humongous storage configurations to the phones that became all most all screen and no bezel, 2017 has proven to be one of the biggest years for the technology industry this decade.
On the software side, the tremendous use of augmented reality for application developers and advancements in business process and
document management system in the enterprise sector ensures that our professional lives remain unaffected, at least when it comes to technology!
Here are a few highlights from the digital industry that have paved the way for 2018.
Bezel-Less Phones
The biggest talking point in the hardware industry had to be the obsession with bezel-less phones. The biggest handset making companies pit themselves against each other to come up with the best designs and ergonomics to give their customers screens that look straight out of a sci-fi movie. While bigger players like Apple and Samsung set the markets buzzing with their flowy designs and eye-dazzling screens, other players like Google went the other way by giving more importance to function than style, resulting in the best camera phone of 2017! With more players like OnePlus, Huawei and LG also hitting them with their best shots, 2018 will be an exciting year to see how the manufacturers top this trend!
Home Speakers
The home speaker market has caught on in a huge way. Just like smartwatches, the speakers became something that we did not know we needed so much. Along with having powerful speakers with permanent internet connectivity, the home speakers of 2017 also had the superior artificial intelligence to ease your job of listening to your music. Most home speakers have their own virtual assistants who are always at your service, which means that you can have every question you have answered without even moving from your couch!
Augmented Reality
While augmented reality (AR) has been in a mild form commercially through photo filters and digital masks found in popular social media apps, the real potential of the platform has been unlocked this year. With more and more phone and tablet makers encouraging developers to explore this almost-untouched side of the virtual arena with designated kits, 2017 turned out to be the year of the AR. Imagine playing your favorite first-person shooter through your camera lens or seeing your favorite characters sitting on the bench in front of you. The AR world has a lot of potentials to become the next big thing in technology, and 2017 was just the start.
E-currency
The previous year was also known for the emergence of e-currency as a source of both stock and a payment method. While the volatility of the different currency brands deterred a lot of people from investing in them, the success stories circulating through social media made it a trending topic in the latter half of the year. A lot of people ended up investing in it and calling it ‘the future of money’ and while experts are skeptical about that proclamation, e-currency is definitely going to stay for a while.