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2018 has already unveiled more innovations than any other in technology – from our beloved smartphones, to massive leaps in virtual reality. But after seeing a plethora of flagships from our beloved brands, what’s next in store for us this year? Read on for the next big launches this year, and what we should expect from them.
Gaming Gone Mobile
With Razers massive success bringing them to a leading point in the gaming peripherals market, last year the company moved their prowess to the mobile scene and created a masterpiece for gamers and heavy users alike.
With the previous model boasting a 120Hz display on a good smartphone, it’s clear that Razer are capable of packing a lot of horsepower into a handheld device with their technology, and we could see features in the Razer Phone 2 that address some user feedback the previous model had, such as an improved camera and even more horsepower under the roof of this device.
Apple ‘Catching Up’
It goes without saying that Apple have lost some of their lead in the smartphone industry. With the innovations taking place on the android platform, accompanied by the release of Google’s own flagship phone, Apple is slowly losing its previous massive grasp on the high-end market of smartphones. After the release of the iPhone X, accompanied by it’s rather hefty price tag, we’ll likely see a release of an iPhone with the X’s design and features, only with modern innovations such as improved specs and battery technology.
This kind of release will also likely hold a lower price tag to compete with the Android market, alongside a reduction in price on the iPhone X making it a much more accessible choice for your next smartphone. With iOS 12 just around the corner, we can only speculate on the improvements that could be made to the iPhone X’s performance and added features, alongside what an already powerful OS could do with its latest iteration combined with cutting edge hardware.
If you’re planning on purchasing Apple’s new flagships, or an older device once the price has been decreased, and you’re keeping your previous phone’s contacts, it’s important to know the process involved in transferring. Switched On Insurance has a helpful article detailing the process involved.
Virtual Reality
If you’ve followed any news regarding VR, you’ve very likely heard of the HTC Vive, Google Daydream, Samsung VR and many more manufacturers. With improvements on visual fidelity, and resolution in VR headsets, alongside controllers such as the ones included with the Vive that allow interaction with the virtual environment, the next problem we face for our virtual worlds is the issue of sensation. When using a headset and controllers, you’re still aware you’re using a controller, and interaction is limited to the features a controller might have. VRGluv is one of the many examples of projects that take VR a step further.
Using a glove placed over the hand, with small motors on the outer side of fingers which can limit movement, a VR glove can give the impression that a virtual object is being held, with pressure and force being simulated by the glove. This, combined with the illusion of a VR headset leads to an incredibly immersive environment, where objects can be manipulated in a natural way without the use of a controller and buttons.
With an increasing number of teams working on this technology, we could likely see the next release of a Samsung or HTC VR headset include similar technology. The price tag initially may be hefty, however through refinement we could see a consumer form of this tech by the end of 2018 or earlier.
