Technologies of the future: why 2020 gadgets are ahead of their time

Some of 2020's iconic gadgets come equipped with tech that won't be used by the mainstream user, Business Insider says. Among these devices, the portal distinguishes smartphones that support 5G, as well as next-generation game consoles. However, electronics manufacturers claim that their devices that support “future technologies” will become irreplaceable in a few years. Why offer consumers functions that he cannot yet use - Gazeta.Ru was trying to figure this out.

2020 saw the premiere of gadgets supporting technologies that just yesterday seemed like something futuristic and unattainable - among them 5G, augmented reality, foldable screens, the 120Hz refresh rate, and much more. Moreover.

However, as Business Insider notes, these innovations may not be ready for mass adoption.

These technologies are already present in modern life, but not all consumers can benefit from them.

At the same time, manufacturers use these functions in their marketing materials, presenting them as a selling feature of their devices.

Supports 5G networks

For example, in early October, Apple unveiled a new line of iPhone 12s that can support 5G networks, offering increased data transfer speeds compared to networks of the previous generation. The introduction of this feature was positioned by CEO Tim Cook as a breakthrough and “the start of a new era for the iPhone”.

The fact that 5G connectivity has become the norm for the latest iPhones means that millions of Apple smartphone users will now have access to the next-generation network.

However, there is an important "but": 5G is not everywhere.

For example, in Russia, there are only a few experimental areas where it is possible to pick up the signal from the fifth-generation cellular network. In other countries, including the United States, 5G only works in a few cities and is beyond the reach of most people.

Eldar Murtazin, a leading analyst at Mobile Research Group, believes it is unreasonable to buy a device that supports 5G in the hope that tomorrow the user can catch this network. According to him, the fifth generation of cellular communication can only become widespread in 2021-2022.

“It all depends on where you use your smartphone. 5G networks are gradually emerging, a number of countries are already introducing them, for example, Japan and South Korea. It's another question that there are no such networks in Russia today, ”says Murtazin.

Thus, the presence of 5G in a smartphone does not guarantee that the user will be able to enjoy all the benefits of next-generation communication, as the necessary infrastructure is lacking everywhere in the world. At the same time, the smartphones of many global brands, including Samsung, Huawei, and other industry leaders, already support this technology.

New visual possibilities

In November, two next-gen game consoles will hit the market at once: the Xbox Series X and the PlayStation 5.

Many gamers are eagerly awaiting the release of consoles that promise better graphics to their users. However, it is very likely that not all players will be able to take advantage of it.

As the manufacturers are promising against Sony and  Microsoft, their consoles will be able to support 4K resolution and a screen refresh rate of 120 fps.

However, TVs capable of "pulling" such picture parameters are only just beginning to appear on the market, and not everyone can afford them.

Thus, in June Sony released televisions specifically "ready for PS5".

The cost of ZH8 TV models ranges from 650,000 to 1 million rubles. depending on the diagonal.

Gaming journalist and blogger Anton Logvinov told Gazeta.Ru that the ability of new consoles to reproduce high-resolution graphics is a common marketing ploy.

“Manufacturers are just installing new ports. One of them supports 120 fps, TVs with these ports also support this frame rate. But in reality, there is a minimum of games that will generally run at this frame rate. Maybe esports or indie games, but modern titles can only shoot 60 frames per second. And that is no problem.

We're a long way from the fact that modern games support 120 fps frame rates, which probably never will happen and nobody needs.

We need new technologies, new graphics, ”says Logvinov.

"The consumer needs new items"

The launch of the next-generation consoles and the evolution of cellular networks is a major step in the future, but so far only a small number of users can feel this step. Gazeta.Ru polled experts to find out why manufacturers are introducing technologies that mass consumers are unable to appreciate.

Alexei Chigadaev, head of Asian projects at the iMARS communications group, believes that there is meaning in “technologies of the future”.

“First the wheel appeared - and only then the roads were adapted to driving. The situation is similar with cars, game consoles, and cell phones, ”Chigadaev said.

The expert believes that when launching "technologies of the future" are available only to a limited number of people - mainly due to the high cost and the limited number of gadgets themselves.

“The greater the volume of production and the degree of distribution among consumers, the cheaper the product is and the price of gadgets gradually decreases, making the product accessible to a growing number of consumers. It is an important economic component ... In the near future it will kick off a new class of gadgets, development of telecommunications equipment, advertising, games industry - the simple introduction of 5G phones will lead to colossal changes in various industries, ”says the expert.

Chigadaev also recalls the advertising component.

“The consumer wants new products - there's a lot of pure marketing too. Over the past two decades, consumers have grown accustomed to the fantastic growth in technological progress - and as a result, their appetites are growing.

None of the current customers can imagine spending the next 5-6 years with the same phone.

Consumption is a stimulus for economic development, and at the same time, a new religion of the 21st century ”, concluded the expert.

Oppo Product Manager Maxim Dyachkin believes that if companies stop developing technology for the future, progress in the industry will stall.

“Innovative companies are always striving to create technologies for the future. This is part of the technological advancement that regularly creates new devices for the whole world. Indeed, at first, innovations may be available to a few users, but as they develop they become part of the daily life of most consumers, ”explains Dyachkin.

Tatiana Danielyan, vice president of project management at ABBYY, believes companies want to stay ahead of the competition in this way, by offering something that others don't.

“At the same time, bringing new products to market, whether it's phones, company programs, or even self-driving cars, always involves testing hypotheses. For this, most companies have early adoption programs. They choose a group of people with given socio-demographic characteristics, income level, education, tasks, or “pains” that they can heal with the help of the future product.

Early adopters help identify new use cases for everything: devices, programs, apps, drone, VR glasses, Amazon email client, new Facebook interface design, and more.

In this group, new functionalities are tested, corrections and improvements are made ”, explains Danielyan.

The expert noted that “technologies of the future” were available at the early stage for a limited number of users. They are the target audience of the product, which can then become massive and for which people with similar characteristics will then pay.

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