What did 2020 bring for technology?
Covid-19 didn’t stop the tech industry. Not only did 2020’s technology help the world to cope with the pandemic, but it played a crucial role in helping with the global crisis. While some products saw delays in their release dates, it didn’t stop the tech industry from surfacing into the daylight.
The best technological products must bring a combination of good performance, optimum design, and value. The categories that saw the most innovation are mobiles, computing, home entertainment, smart home, and services and software.
However, some of the technological advances cannot be seen in a physical device, they are integrated into services or products we use. And while we cannot physically see them, they can make a real difference in solving major problems. Let’s focus first on the breakthroughs that have the ability to change how we work and live.
- Unhackable Internet: it is an internet-based on quantum physics, scientist are still building the networks to use worldwide, but 2020 saw that it is a possibility. This is wildly important, as the Internet is one of the most vulnerable places.
- Tiny AI: With the increase of capacity in small devices, now we can store large amounts of data in very small pieces of metal. There have been advances in storing AI into small devices. This could mean that our smartphones will not need to communicate to the Cloud to access the latest AI-driven features. The communication between our devices and us will be faster and the carbon emission will be lessened.
- Differential privacy: it is a huge task to collect data for the census, statistics, etc. while keeping the resident’s information private. The government is trying to pick up on differential privacy, which is in use by Apple and Facebook at the moment. This technology is very important when building trust and protecting an individual’s privacy.
Best smartphone releases in 2020
2020 saw many new smartphone releases. From Apple, Google to Samsung, they all have desirable features and new tech. iPhone surprised us with iOS14, Google brought us Android 11. Other phones presented a great value per quality, like the Samsung series. We have listed the top 15 best smartphones that have been released in 2020:
- Samsung Galaxy S20 / S20 Plus
- iPhone 12 / iPhone 12 mini
- Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra
- iPhone 12 Pro / iPhone 12 Pro Max
- OnePlus 8 Pro
- iPhone SE 2020
- Samsung Galaxy S20 Fan Edition
- Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra
- OnePlus 8
- Google Pixel 5
- Samsung Galaxy S10e
- Google Pixel 4a
- iPhone 11
- iPhone XR
- Motorola One 5G
Most Interesting Gadgets from 2020
There have been some great gadgets released in 2020. The most common include the new over the ear AirPods Max, Apple AirPods Pro, some Smartwatches like the Apple Watch 6, and innovative displays such as the Philips 558M1RY and its ultra-fast response time at ultra-HD. The new 13-inch MacBook Pro is amongst the most awaited releases together with the Microsoft Surface 2020. Yet, there are some less obvious but wildly interesting gadgets out there:
Oral B IO toothbrush: It is a smart toothbrush for the best teeth care experience ever.
Superstrata bike: This company 3D Prints you a carbon fiber bike frame to your specific preferences.
WD_Black SN850 Solid State Drive: It is meant to increase the capacity of storage on devices such as the newly released PS5. Since it was optimized for speed, the PS5 lacks some internal storage. That’s where this SSD will become a great gadget to play your favorite games.
ShiftCam Multilens iPhone 11 case: This case is meant to improve the already sensational camera of the iPhone 11.
Apple iPad Pro 2020: This product sounds like another iteration of the Apple iPad series. However, with the new powerful CPU, and the magic keyboard itself has set new standards in the tablet industry. The LiDAR scanner has augmented reality qualities, that seem, to come out of a sci-fi movie.
What made 2020 a good year for tech
There is plenty of excellent news in 2020 regarding technology. Aside from what has been discussed previously, some other major advances have been made.
Artificial Intelligence takes first place with many companies focusing on improving their usage. Data Science has developed greatly this year, conjoined with AI tech. More intelligent apps have swarmed our smart devices, another example of the advancement of AI.
2020 saw an improvement in the Internet of Things (IoT), a network of devices connected to each other. These products can interact and share data while connected via Wi-Fi. The smart appliances we have been seeing are an example of the IoT.
Cryptocurrency has experienced a boost in 2020 with the growth of digital money, while Libra, crypto by Facebook, is still not out in the market, China is keen on the technology. Blockchain technology, powers these electronic currencies and has been vital in making bitcoin and other digital money increase in value.
Lastly, Robotic Process Automation (RPA), is a technology used in automating daily tasks, quite similar to AI. This tech can improve the workload and reduce the stress in many jobs and at home.
In short, 2020 has been an amazing year for the development of different technologies. Most of these innovations will see an improvement in the following years. We are heading towards a futuristic age, and we welcome it with open arms.
