2021 Technology Trends

By Henry Luo

2021 is set to be an incredibly exciting year in terms of technology. From introducing novelties such as artificial reality and quantum computing to revealing some predictions from big tech companies, this article will provide you with a brief look at the 2021 technology trends. 

First, Artificial Intelligence—a word that probably most of us are familiar with—is bound to take a more human-centered approach and become less “artificial,” especially after the turbulent year of 2020. AI is already known for its superiority in image and speech recognition, navigation apps, smartphone personal assistants, ride-sharing apps and so much more. This year, AI will continue helping companies analyze interactions to determine underlying connections and insights—including predicting demand for services and detecting the changing patterns of customer behavior. It is estimated that the AI market will grow to over 57 billion in 2021. 

Next up we have 5G. While 3G and 4G gives us access to browse the internet, 5G services will revolutionize our lives. 5G cellular technology can deliver data at speeds orders of magnitude higher than the current 4G network. Aside from speed, it promises low latency—the time it takes for the network to process a high volume of data—and the ability to connect to many devices without being bogged down. In the future, even rural areas may have access to a strong wifi. 

Now let’s take a look at some more tangible products that you can get every day. First, let’s take a peek at the world-famous tech company, Apple. It is predicted that we are probably going to see a 23 inch iMac with Apple’s own M1 chip which is its first ARM chip. Next, we’ll probably be seeing the 14-inch Macbook Pro with the M1 chip with better retina display, the possibility of micro-LED being introduced, and much more. Even though this is not a full-blown upcoming apple technology prediction, AR Glasses are not to be missed. Apple has shown interest in augmented reality, and have said that Apple AR Glasses may appear in 2021. 

Perhaps you may not be an Apple person. Lenovo’s ThinkPad X1 Fold is truly a state of the art laptop as it’s the first foldable PC. Microsoft is also working on a similar product called the Surface Neo, and Dell is following along with a product called Concept Ori. We could also see more mid to low range prices laptops like HP Envy 13 and Envy x360 13 which are both expected to be under $1000. 

2021 brings with it an exciting new phase of innovative technology. Unfortunately, this article is not long enough to cover all the major products that are expected to arrive, but artificial intelligence, 5G networks, and new products from Apple, Microsoft, and others are some of the advances in tech that most people are looking forward to.