Tech Trends 2021 -- What to look for Next Year

Happy New Year everybody! Or at least ... almost.

2021 is right around the corner, which means a few things: First, that we survived 2020! And second, that lots of new tech trends are also right around the corner. At AV Design Consultants, we can’t wait to see what 2021 has in store for smart homes and smart technology.

So, we thought of a great way to both help celebrate the end of this year and ring in the start of next year: A look at some exciting and upcoming tech trends! We’ve only got one week left in 2020, so today our blog is all about looking ahead at what paths the industry may take next year.

Of course, the tech industry is always full of surprises, so this list is only our best guess. But for now, here are just a few trends to keep an eye out for as we head into 2021.

Internet of Behaviors (IoB)

Many people are familiar with the “IoT” nomenclature for the Internet of Things, but another thing to keep an eye on is the expansion of Internet of Behaviors. Instead of things, IoB includes more specific and specialized data about users, such as facial recognition and location.

We’ve already started to see this included in smart-home technology through facial recognition software for smart-home controllers. The point of IoB is to take this data and use it to somehow impact behavior – so there are a lot of ways this information could be used around the house to help make your day-to-day life easier. For example, if you always leave the house at the same time each morning, your smart home could predict this and turn on devices, lights, and open the garage in preparation without you having to do anything. 

It’s estimated that by the end of 2025, more than half of the globe will interact with IoB programs. That means there’s still a few years of ramp up but expect to see and hear more about this in the smart home space over the course of 2021. 

5G Expansion

Yes, we know that we talked about 5G last week in our tech guide, but it’s something that’s going to be a big part of the conversation as we head into 2021 and beyond, not just something that’s important to know about for this year’s holiday season. With faster speeds for your cellular devices, 5G is the next level of cellular communication.. 

5G isn’t going to just impact your cellular devices, either. Home networks are already looking at 5G, and 5G could totally change the game as to how your home devices connect to the internet. As more and more workplaces shift and adjust to working from home, 5G is only going to get that much more important. 

Of course, if you are already struggling with your home network or router infrastructure and don’t want to wait until next year, give us a call today at 479-365-2201 ! We’d be glad to help put together a whole-home, mesh network solution that will keep all your devices connected and operating at their best -- even when everyone in the house is trying to do work video calls or distance learning at the same time. 

Privacy/Security  

Privacy is always an important tech topic, and we expect it to continue being a critical part of conversation well into 2021. Especially as more and more of your devices are connected throughout your smart home, the topic of how your devices use, store, and secure that personal data is only going to get even more important.  

In the same vein, smart home security is also going to be just as important as ever, and we expect you’ll see a growing number of smart home solutions that are safe, secure, and have extra privacy features hit the consumer market over the next 12 months. 

Connectivity/Things Getting Smarter 

It’s somewhat of a double-edged sword: As more devices get connectivity features, we expect everything to be able to just work and connect with everything else.

Looking ahead, device connectivity and how well devices connect and work with different systems --- especially smart home systems -- is going to be even more important. Whether its devices using cellular, satellite, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, RFID, or other forms of connectivity, how devices can connect and work with each other is going to be vital. 

Aside from connectivity, you can expect to see more and more devices getting “smart” next year, as well. This could be anything from the expansion of smart surveillance, to smarter kitchens, smart bathrooms, and even smart sprinkler and gardening systems. The sky really is the limit for smart-home technology in 2021, and we don’t see that slowing down anytime soon. 

As we head into next year, no matter what smart-home projects you are thinking about, we’d love to help you make them a reality! Give us a call at 479-365-2201 today and one of our experts would be glad to see any of your smart-home ideas through to completion.