5 Major Consumer Technology Predictions for 2020

January 6, 2020

This week, over 175,000 innovators will head to Las Vegas for the annual CES conference, where the latest gadgets and emerging technologies will be on display. One of those people will be IEEE Fellow Thomas Coughlin, who shared his predictions for consumer technology that will emerge or become more prevalent in 2020.

1. Smart Devices Will Reinforce Privacy and Security

“Privacy and security are increasingly important to consumers as more and more of our devices become smart and connected,” says Coughlin. “We should expect to see this as a very important topic at the CES. Major tech companies need to show consumers how their smart AI enabled devices will protect their information.”

2. Expect to See More Autonomous Vehicles

“Last year there were a lot of these on display, particularly in the North Hall,” recalls Coughlin. “I expect to see more at the 2020 CES. Besides simple autonomous driving, watch out for technology that enables vehicle to vehicle and vehicle to local infrastructure communication. This will be very important to enable the next level of automotive safety and may be part of 5G networks.”

3. Personal Robots Will Care for the Elderly

“These are especially attractive for helping older people maintain their independence and are being pushed in Japan where the aging population… has created a big market for these devices,” says Coughlin.

4. Gaming and Music Videos are Transitioning to Virtual, Augmented and Mixed Reality

“Games are where this has had the most impact although I have seen some amazing music videos,” says Coughlin. “Long-form VR may still be a ways away, and AR will be found all over and if battery charges can be improved, wearable smart glasses with AR could also be back again.”

5. Entertainment Becomes More Clear and Global

“That is what much of the modern CES is about,” states Coughlin. “I expect to see interesting developments for entertainment with AR/VR, AI, higher resolution, HDR (high dynamic range) and higher frame-rate video on display. 2020 is the year Japan will broadcast the Olympics in 8K.”

CES runs January 7 through January 10. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn for daily conference updates.