The days of 2020 are numbered, and with all that’s happened, it seems like the months just flew by. Although COVID-19 put the whole world at a standstill, it hasn’t stopped tech companies from creating and releasing innovative products and services.

The year saw innovations in smart technology, affordable consumer electronics, virtual reality and augmented reality, and internet connectivity. These tech trends have benefits for both individuals and businesses.

With the pace that technological advancements are going, the tech of last year can seem outdated. Don’t get left behind by your competition; keep up with the latest trends and find out how you can use them to your advantage.

The Rise of 5G Internet

The 5th generation of mobile network, also known as 5G, has been teased since 2019. According to Qualcomm, 5G is better than 4G because it’s at least 10 times faster, has significantly lower latency and has a unified platform that supports more device types — not just mobile. As such, a lot of people were excited about the release of this tech. It even drew controversy when the U.S. government banned Huawei from establishing their 5G tech in America.

Major networks, like AT&T and Verizon, were putting up the infrastructure for it in select cities in the US last year. However, devices that could take advantage of the connection were still non-existent. 2020 saw the release of smartphones and other technology capable of using 5G. Most of them were phones like the latest Apple flagship phones: the iPhone 12 line and Samsung’s latest flagship S20 series. Laptops that can handle 5G were also released this year, like the Lenovo Flex 5G.

With a compatible sim card, these devices allow you to browse the internet, download important documents, and even work with the latest software from the cloud with little to no lag and lightning-fast speeds anytime and from anywhere.

5G takes remote work to a whole new level. However, Qualcomm’s report on the economic impact of 5G also stated that this technology can have significant benefits on training, digital signage, asset tracking, energy monitoring, smart agriculture, and more. It’s also touted as suitable for mission-critical services, as its low latency features allow for consistent and near-instant updates for autonomous vehicles, drones, and remote patient monitoring products. ;

Staying Even More Connected With IoT

The Internet of Things or IoT has been a hot topic in the tech world for years. IoT spans every device that’s connected to the internet. However, its more specific definition has been objects and devices that interact with each other through the internet.

The mainstream application of IoT started with smart speakers with voice assistants like the Amazon Echo and Google Home. These hubs, apart from providing the day’s weather and playing songs through voice commands, can also control a variety of smart home devices like smart bulbs, smart power outlets, and even smart coffee makers. You can control almost everything in your home with a voice command or a tap of your smartphone.

Now, there are a variety of devices and equipment with smart capabilities, not just household appliances. The most notable and useful examples are the ones used for agriculture.

Crop weather sensors let farmers know the temperature, precipitation and even leaf wetness of crops in a certain area. They get updates sent from the sensor to their smartphones. These devices run on batteries and connect to the internet via 4G LTE or 2G connections. There are also storage tank level monitors that provide updates on the volume of fertilizer and fuel tanks, making it easier and more efficient for farmers to keep track of their resources.

Artificial Intelligence in Everyday Apps and Devices

Artificial intelligence or AI used to be so far out into the future. It’s more accessible now than ever before. AI is everywhere, from complex supercomputers to chatbots on small business websites. Even the personalized emails, suggested products, and “people also buy” sections on e-commerce websites like Amazon use AI. These programs are getting smarter and smarter. There are AIs that can create news articles and pieces of art. Autonomous vehicles, like the ones Tesla and Honda are creating, make use of this tech to let drivers ride their vehicles hands-free — to some extent.

Technology changes at a rapid pace. What’s cutting-edge today may be outdated next year. Whether you’re running a very competitive business or you want to use the best that technology has to offer, you need to know the latest trends. Now that 2020’s coming to a close, it’s exciting to look forward and see what the next year has to offer in this industry.