Technology Trends: How They Affect The Industry
This article will describe why trends in technology are necessary, how to better understand their purpose, and how they affect the future of our devices. I also want to address an often talked about trend in 2018 for the smartphone world.
What Role Do Trends Have?
Trends play an essential role in any industry, but the field of technology is often at the forefront of attention. Contrary to popular belief by many people on the internet, trends in technology are not there to upset or hurt the consumer by any means. Companies do not sit around scheming of the next ways they can screw over their customers with new product designs or services. Thinking like this is just absurd — that kind of logic needs to be tossed out immediately!
The technology industry, in particular, goes through its annual treatment of trends like clockwork. The industry as a whole is continuously changing, evolving, and expanding — we must understand what role trends have in the first place. Trends are the driving force for new ideas and concepts that eventually manifest themselves as new products, services, or advancements. Benefiting consumer use in our daily lives is the end goal for these companies — the technology we use was created to make life easier and more interesting for us.
The World of Smartphones
Smartphones are currently the hottest devices around in 2018 and are the perfect example of yearly trends in action. These devices may be prevalent, but the average smartphone consumer is not gifted in the field of understanding technology. Most users only know the very basics on how to navigate the operating system and carry out simple tasks. As long as they know how to send a text, browse the web, use social media, check emails, download apps, and take photos, they are usually good to go from there.
Beyond the core basics of using a smartphone, the average consumer does not care nor do they want to care about all the technical jargon that goes along with the industry. Therefore, when new trends start occurring year after year, they might say something similar to “I liked how it was before… why can’t they leave it alone and keep it the same?”. This example hits home for many average consumers out there I am quite sure of that, but as mentioned earlier, trends drive the industry forward and must be accepted as such. In most scenarios, the consumer has little to no power over what trends the industry will follow year after year. However, without new ideas, the technology industry will most certainly end up lacking innovation sooner rather than later.
Smartphones are not perfect yet even in 2018, but if we “kept it the same” year after year — who knows what our devices would look like today. We could potentially still be using bulky phones with a flip-out physical keyboard, a small display size, thick bezels all around, and no waterproofing whatsoever like the days of old. Think about using those same devices we used 8 to 10 years ago — but using them in our modern society instead. We would not know any better so it would not matter, but still. Weird, right? Now you get it! Trends create innovation, which allows the industry to move forward and make better devices for all of us.
A Better Understanding
We need companies like Apple and Google to make the necessary changes to push us into a future with better devices and increased functionality. They are the leaders of their industry and the very reason why we have these technologies in the first place. We all need to calm down, sit back, and let them do their thing while the technology continues to advance. Never forget — we are only there for the ride while these companies work on perfecting their craft. The faster everyone understands that, the easier it will be for the industry to get better for all of us, especially the consumer. For example, these companies will achieve many of their smartphone goals in due time — those trends will have then fulfilled their destiny at long last. We must learn to embrace change until the technology reaches a point of near maximum potential.
“I know my technology roots and always pay homage to its history as such, because without the origins of something, where would we be today? It is highly crucial that we understand how things began so we can appreciate the luxuries that we use in present time. Never take anything for granted and know that technology will continue to evolve and regularly change throughout the years.”
-Stephen Perkins
We Should Be More Grateful
Smartphones currently dominate our world, but without companies like Apple and Google continuing to push these yearly trends, the industry would probably not be advancing at such a rapid pace. For example, both of these companies combined make up the smartphone market in its entirety and are responsible for driving that particular market forward. Essentially, what they say and do spells out the future for the devices we rely upon for our daily lives.
Instead of nitpicking, making fun of, and bashing tech-based companies for putting the consumer through these yearly trends, how about we start thanking them instead? Try saying the following to yourself: “Dear Apple and Google, I would be lost without my smartphone. Thank you for popularizing the smartphone era and making our lives a little bit better.” See what I mean? That was not so difficult! We all should be more open and appreciative about the yearly technology trends.
Concerning any industry looking to advance, it is never a viable solution to let the market get cold and become stale due to lack of innovation. For example, losing interest in a product or service ultimately means that they could eventually be phased out indefinitely. This is something we would not want happening with our precious world of smartphones! Remember that, and you will have a better appreciation for all things, especially when it comes to technology in general.
The Biggest Smartphone Trend of 2018
Here we are late 2018 going into early 2019 soon enough — the talk of the town for smartphones is known as the “notch.” This is a particular trend that I want to address because of all the negative backlash it seems to be getting from a certain number of people. Ever since the Essential Phone and the iPhone X introduced this trend in late 2017, it seems people have been making quite the ruckus about it. It appears that many are either making noise for the sake of complaining online (the internet is full of that), are stuck in their old ways who refuse to accept change, or do not understand what is happening.
What The “Notch” Represents
The “notch” is here to stay in 2018 for most iOS and Android flagship devices, so this is something to be aware of currently. You will need to accept this fact and bear with the industry until the next trend arises that will move us forward from that point. The idea behind this particular trend is what smartphone makers have been trying to achieve for many years now — give their users an all-screen experience without bezels. The “notch” is the first significant step forward in making that idea into a reality, but it is not the end product by any means. This is merely a middle point until these companies can figure out how to underlay all of the sensors in the display itself, giving for a true full-screen experience.
The “notch” is seen as a negative and gaudy feature by some, but know that it is a necessary step the industry leaders must take to give us a better user experience in the long run. If no one is willing to make these changes, then who will be responsible for nudging the industry forward? Now it all starts to make sense! Ultimately, we should be able to accept change since it is necessary in the world of technology. However, you can always choose to opt out of from these trends should you wish to do so. You may not enjoy being put through these yearly trends, but at the same time, no one is forcing you to upgrade your devices on an annual basis either. You always have the power of choice and freedom to choose what device you want to use at any given time — you are in charge of your own decisions.
If you are flat out stuck in your old ways and refuse to accept the new smartphone trends, such as the “notch,” then hold onto your device for a little while longer until the next advancement occurs. Flagship devices from 2017 and 2018 are strong enough to last us for many years, which means we can hold onto them for more than a year if we wanted to. With how quickly technology is advancing, one would not have to wait very long until the next generation of devices comes along. Smartphones are an imperfect craft still, but until that point is achieved, we will continue to see these devices evolve with new features and form-factors as time progresses. Given that information, you should now know that technology will continue to go through multiple changes until it reaches the point of near perfection.
The Wrap-Up
Times are exciting right now as the technology industry evolves at a pace we have never experienced before! We are lucky enough and should be honored to be living in the fast-paced world of changing technology. Past generations never got to make use of such luxuries, of which we often take for granted today. Our dependence on technology has become so vital that it considered a necessity to operate in this world nowadays. As such, there will always be yearly trends in technology — they play an essential role in driving the industry forward, paving the way for new products, services, and advancements in the consumer market.
Companies like Apple and Google are leading the way forward, especially for smartphones, and we should appreciate what they represent. Each company has a unique set of products and services that are meant to make our daily lives a bit more exciting. The purpose of technology is to make life easier for us human beings — we are truly blessed and a little spoiled at the same time. We are fortunate to have the opportunity to partake in such things during our lifetime, and should never forget where our origins began before modern technology was introduced. A simple “thank you” would suffice to sound more grateful and less snooty. Send these companies a thoughtful email and let them know you appreciate all they have done for us thus far. Knowing what you know today — can you even imagine a world without smartphones? I thought so.
Smartphones are the most famous example of how the yearly trends in technology can affect the market. Sometimes these devices go through minor changes, but they can also change drastically from the previous generations. For example, in 2018, the smartphone “notch” is essential for driving the industry forward for future devices. Everyone can have an opinion and may not like this particular trend, but the consumer will always be free to choose whichever product they want to use. No one is forcing us to upgrade and be a part of these new trends — we all need to calm down and realize that.
Final Thoughts
We should always remember — we are only here for the ride as the industry continues to master their craft. For example, the Windows operating system went through multiple iterations and overhauls over the years. Some were welcomed changes by the general public (Windows 7) while others were not received so well all the same (Windows 8). However you felt about the evolution of this particular operating system, these changes were a necessary step forward so they could reach the level of quality and features that we have today. This is something that will continue well into the future, which is why everyone must learn to understand and accept how the industry works.
When it comes to the world of mobile, Apple and Google own the smartphone market and must be the voices to drive the industry forward as such. Whether you like some of the recent smartphone trends or not, both of these companies are the leaders in their respected industry and are in charge of the present and the future of these devices. Once we understand the reasoning behind trends in technology, we can hopefully begin to move on with our lives finally. The world of technology would be a more peaceful environment if we quit bickering, debating, and arguing over non-existent issues in the first place.
I do hope this article has helped to paint a better picture of trends in technology and what makes them so unique. Thanks so much for reading!
