First came vinyl, then cassettes and videocassettes. They were replaced by digital DVDs and CDs, which forced us to get rid of VCRs and bulky players. Recently, dual-layer DVDs and Blue Ray have become popular. All these things are for home entertainment. The latest models of tablet PCs, mobile phones, current TVs with built-in players - these new products can be listed for a very long time.
The bottom line is that as soon as a new gadget appears on the services market, it begins to go its own way. The novelty, as always, lights up brightly, but quickly goes out, due to the fact that it is overshadowed by competitors, or even leaves the market, because it cannot live up to expectations. Previously, the technological process developed much more slowly, but now gadgets began to appear on the markets very often. Few people can imagine their life without these devices. So what's next for common gadgets?
Autonomous GPS
Many years ago, standalone GPS was considered the newest system, which made a lot of noise. But the rapid progress in this area has led to the fact that GPS is leaving the market by the end of 2020. According to Charles S. Golvin, director of market research firm Forrest, GPS devices will be replaced by smartphones with Google Maps, as well as GPS built into car systems. Thus, there will be no need to purchase a separate device in order to find out the route.
Companies have already released a huge number of different applications for smartphones, such as Navigon, which already have Google Maps integrated for free, providing a good level of service for choosing an alternative route.
Classic mobile phones
The variety of smartphones reflects badly on the sale of ordinary phones with buttons (which we will never forget, no doubt everyone remembers their first phone as their first love). So, according to Tim Bajarin, who is the editor of PC Magazine and a digital sales consultant for IBM, Intel and Compaq, by 2015, about 80% of all phones sold will be smartphones, and by 2018 smartphones will overshadow everyone. The whole problem lies in the good quality of the latter, as well as the fact that the Internet and telephone providers prefer to communicate with the client through smartphones, and not through ordinary phones.
Digital cameras
They represent another category of goods that are endangered. The reason lies again in smartphones. Recently, Apple showed its iPhone 4S, then not only the creators of phones were worried. Of course, the 8-megapixel digital camera of the iPhone that has appeared allows you not only to take a high-quality picture, but also record video with HD resolution 1080p. Until recently, such features were considered only a feature of digital cameras, but now there are smartphones that are fierce competition to them.
“Someday, the buyer will not need a camera at all, since he will have a phone that can take a picture of the same quality,” says analyst Rob Enderle (Rob Enderle) from the Enderle Group. But it's not all bad, Rob reassures. Cameras and digital cameras cannot completely disappear from the markets, only professionals will buy them. Ordinary buyers do not have to purchase an expensive device for permanent use; you can take a great photo on your phone.
DVD players
After the release of Blue Ray players, sales of classic DVDs plummeted, indicating that by the end of the decade they would no longer be produced at all. The reason is that DVD players will replace digital devices, according to Ian Olgeirson, an analyst at SNL Sagan; technologies like Netflix (streaming media) will become the most popular. "Blue Ray or similar discs are not very common yet, but they will soon become the most famous," he added. In general, after some time DVD will be the same rarity as vinyl.
Game consoles
Famous video game consoles such as XBOX, Wii and PSP3 will undoubtedly remain in our apartments for a long time, only in the near future they will change a lot. According to Enderle, some consoles will be replaced by "smart" TVs, which will have video games built in, or it will be tablet PCs and smartphones, giving the opportunity to perform many more features in the game.
"It looks like video game systems like this won't make it to the end of the decade," says Enderle, "Wii and PlayStation are losing consumer interest, and what's left of the game consoles is those who move away from the concept of only gaming use and increase their capabilities with films or other options. entertainment."