Predictions for 2015

So as we start another year, let’s take a look at what may be in store for us in the tech world. Here are several of my technology predictions for 2015.

Simple and Cheap Wearables

Wearable products will work alongside our smartphones, helping to manage our lives in new and interesting ways. The 2015 round of these products will have very low prices, almost practically disposable. Rather than having to spend $100+, you will be able to add some nifty tech to your life for well under $50.

The price exception will be the Apple Watch, which will be more about fashion than function. It will have some nifty functions for the Apple community and will sell nicely in spite of its price. It will certainly be something that will get a lot of press, but look for the articles about 2 months after its launch where the technorati have stopped wearing it.

Innovation in Password Security

With the constant reports of security breaches filling our daily news, people will start to make an effort to protect their digital lives. More websites and services will start to use multi factor security as an option. Devices and applications will make it simpler for non-technical users to manage passwords and secure their identities. And the average person might start to take this seriously.

Curved and 4K Screens that Nobody Buys

CES (Consumer Electronic Show) is going to be filled with curved 4K screens at all types of price points. Like 3D television before, the manufacturers are going to push these products as hard as possible. But unless you need to replace your old TV, the consumers will sit content with their existing HD screens.

Okay, some people will buy it, but the amount of 4K content is still relatively small. Streaming services are starting to offer some 4K, but I think that we are about 18 months away from enough 4K content and the bandwidth to support it. Another product cycle of curved 4K screens will bring the price point down. So look to the 2016 holiday season to see sales spike.

Smart Home Devices go Mainstream

Where the Curved 4K screens fail, the smart home devices will succeed. Building on the basic idea of the Nest Thermostat, the Google Chromecast, and Phillips Hue, more connected products for the home will appear that deliver a simple function with a relatively cheap price. Products will use your smartphone as a controller and build off the iOS & Android platforms. The ability for a DIY solution to make your house cool will drive this market. And, we will finally see a revised Apple TV that brings together some of this additional home integration technology together. (Apple’s HomeKit is the big hint here.)

Even More Drones, and Lawsuits

In our pursuit of building Skynet, the booming market for drones will continue its rapid pace of development. But we will see a number of significantly important law suits around the misuse of drones related to personal privacy.

Someone Cracks Battery Technology

Someone will bring to market a significant innovation in battery technology in a product, probably a smartphone or car. Think along the lines of four times the power in the same size. Okay, this one should really be for 2016, but we can dream!