Why would we want to build a parallel reality populated by digital twins?

Sure, it sounds cool, yet this “virtual twinning” effectively extends the possibilities of both the “world of atoms and the world of bits“ as HoloLens inventor Alex Kipman eloquently put it in a TED talk which has been viewed over 3.5 million times.

There is already an entire ecosystem emerging around the challenges of sensing, mapping, and replicating objects from the real world into the digital – and vice-versa
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This is not some distant blue-sky thinking. There is already an entire ecosystem emerging around the challenges of sensing, mapping, and replicating objects from the real world into the digital – and vice-versa. In fact, one of the main applications of the 5G connectivity infrastructure rollout will be to mirror physical objects and environments digitally in real-time. That, in turn, would enable XR (extended reality) applications to be built which bring quantifiable value to users.

5G applications that consumers will “get”

“I don’t think the average person really comes close to realizing just how much of a quantum leap we’re talking about,” says Deeyook CEO Gideon Rottem. “They think it will be faster, but literally it will enable things that will make what we have now pale in comparison,” he adds.

Rottem’s Israel-based company has developed a self-learning tracking solution that measures the angles of wireless transmissions – tapping into the existing 1.7 billion wireless access points that already exist globally – to determine positioning of employees, items and assets (within 10 cm) without tapping into a company’s IT network and without invasive personal tracking or data capturing.

These mapping technologies are going to interact with the cloud differently, as it no longer becomes necessary to upload images in order to understand what the user is standing in front of. According to Rottem, once we achieve accurate positioning, we can also create accurate virtual worlds (largely automatically) so the integration between the physical and the digital can become seamless.

These mapping technologies are going to interact with the cloud differently, as it no longer becomes necessary to upload images in order to understand what the user is standing in front of
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A newly released report by research and consulting firm Strategy Analytics revealed that although consumers are intrigued by 5G, speed on its own is not enough to sell them on the idea of upgrading. This is partly because it is difficult to grasp what it will enable them to do. CSPs will need to solve existing pain-points and entice customers with new experiences.

In practical terms, spatial mapping technologies are crucial in enabling the type of integrated applications that not only address practical customer needs but also create these “wow” factors that will prompt mass adoption of 5G. The above research found that what got consumers most excited about the prospect were immersive experiences such as holographic conversations and XR field training.

A newly released report by research and consulting firm Strategy Analytics revealed that although consumers are intrigued by 5G, speed on its own is not enough to sell them on the idea of upgrading
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It’s not a surprise, therefore, to see many companies in the connectivity space embracing immersive technology and content as they seek to bridge this “imagination gap”.

An example of a CSP doing just that is UK mobile giant Three, which recently released a highly produced tongue-in-cheek advert which shows us what a 5G-enabled holographic future could look like.

“Hold on to your crumpets,” says Three in their recent 5G ads.

Many companies in the connectivity space embracing immersive technology and content as they seek to bridge the consumer imagination gap
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Moetsi is a company working to build the spatial mapping infrastructure to make that future happen by offering “sensor stream processing on the edge.” This effectively boils down to processing vast amounts of data in real-time and delivering it in a format that makes sense and is relevant to the context of where it is being applied.

We will see an explosion of XR applications that provide immense value industry and enterprise, as well as mind-blowing experiences for individual consumers
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To illustrate how an application could leverage this, Moetsi co-founder Adam Polak gives an example of someone about to cross a street getting alerted that the car moving towards them isn’t slowing down for the red light. At that point, all our decisions would potentially become augmented and informed by tapping into these edge-processed datastreams, fundamentally changing our relationship with technology, the world around us, and one another.

3D mapping in arts and entertainment

There are use cases already emerging of spatial mapping being applied to create, transform, and augment art. Award-winning immersive content studio HEAVY has partnered with the Marriott hotel group to build a “secret digital garden” at the JW Marriott Anaheim Resort which was  due to open in April. The project leveraged mapping technology from 6D.ai, a company that set out to build  “a 3D map of the world” and has since been acquired by Niantic, the makers of Pokémon GO.

This feature of persistence is key to understanding the value these real-time mapping technologies bring to such experiences. In this case, HEAVY produced a fine art installation blending physical, custom-made sculptures with augmented reality elements to create a serene space where resort guests and visitors can plant their own fantastical trees while enjoying playing among digital caterpillars and butterflies.

There are use cases already emerging of spatial mapping being applied to create, transform, and augment art
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What makes the zen-like experience more than a bit of fun, however, is the narrative backdrop for the magical plant’s evolution from sapling to tree. By performing the digital meditations, each guest will figuratively transform into a different kind of tree, personalized around their choices, which can then be further nurtured over time like a flora version of Tamagotchi. This means that the way users interact with and nurture their trees will affect how it develops, and consequently what type of experience each person generates and enjoys.

How will this technology come to life?

Improving the speed at which connected devices can stream information to an authoritative server will be a crucial piece of that puzzle according to Polak, as improvements in networking such as 5G will help reduce the latency and increase the amount of sensors that can communicate in a local area, something that the current generation of networking infrastructure simply cannot cope with.

“The engineering challenge is enormous: being able to interpret any sensor data correctly in a manner that can be used by application developers to provide value to end-users, basically not only seeing, but understanding anything a device can sense in the world,” Polak adds.”

So, are we there yet? Well, yes and no. A lot of this technology already exists but it is hampered by the fact that nearly every XR developer has to roll out their own solutions to build cross-platform applications that can be shared with all users.

According to Polak, initiatives like OpenXR are addressing the problem of having to build separate implementations for ARKit, ARCore, and MRTK (Microsoft’s Mixed Reality Toolkit) by enabling developers to access XR device data through a single interface.

A lot of this technology already exists but it is hampered by the fact that nearly every XR developer has to roll out their own solutions to build cross-platform applications that can be shared with all users
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Once we arrive at that convergence of 5G connectivity and the ability to interact with digitized objects in platform-agnostic experiences that are embedded in our own physical reality, our world as we know it will never be the same. We will see an explosion of XR applications that provide immense value industry and enterprise, as well as mind-blowing experiences for individual consumers.

So while wrapping your head around the concept of building a “Mirror World” might be difficult at first, once it clicks into place we’re likely to wonder how we ever settled for such an ordinary reality in the first place.

This article was originally published on Futurithmic

#SpatialMapping technologies are crucial in enabling the type of integrated applications that not only address practical customer needs but also create these WOW factors that will prompt mass adoption of #5G. https://t.co/2wC9FhIFdq pic.twitter.com/vnsLln2VPY

— Futurithmic (@futurithmic) May 1, 2020

Tech Trends offers a broad range of Digital Consultancy services to guide companies, individuals, and brands in effectively leveraging existing and emerging technologies in their business strategy.

Alice Bonasio is a XR and Digital Transformation Consultant and Tech Trends’ Editor in Chief. She also regularly writes for Fast Company, Ars Technica, Quartz, Wired and others. Connect with her on LinkedIn and follow @alicebonasio on Twitter.

The post Digitizing our Existence appeared first on Tech Trends.

Big data is getting even bigger. The average consumer will access and generate vast amounts of information over the course of any normal day. Yet power users, or “prosumers” like myself who also rely on data for all their work, need (or at least want) even more connectivity than your regular 4G devices are able to offer.

Big data is getting even bigger #Making5GReal @MiFi #MiFiIQ
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At the same time, emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, robotics, 5G and IoT are all converging to enable use cases that will dramatically impact business and the way we all live. Enterprise and business use cases such as Virtual Reality and telemedicine also require military-grade data security and encryption.

The average consumer will access and generate vast amounts of information every day #Making5GReal @MiFi #MiFiIQ
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High throughput, speed and bandwidth, combined with low latency have long been the promises of 5G. A lot of folks in the industry have talked about that in theory, but with real-world trials now happening with various operators, what kind of performance can actually be delivered in reality?

Inseego has a rich history in advancing connectivity dating back from the 1990’s, although you might be more familiar with their previous name of Novatel Wireless. Two years ago the company famous for inventing the MiFi® and the mobile hotspot category rebranded as Inseego, but regardless of the name they operate under, this is a company with some serious pedigree where it comes to delivering next-generation end device connectivity. Having quietly powered the 2G, 3G and 4G revolutions, they are now delivering 5G through their MiFi IQ technlology which is set to become the overarching 5G technology device brand for both mobile and fixed (in-home/in-office) wireless – for consumers as well as prosumers.

Power users rely on data for work and will need more connectivity than your average 4G devices is able to offer #Making5GReal @MiFi #MiFiIQ
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A large number of Tier One telecommunications operators around the world are actively working with the company on bringing their 5G NR services to life – both mobile (hotspots) and fixed/in-home 5G (routers, gateways and more) – through MiFi IQ device technology throughout 2019. Availability with numerous carriers are in the works, although Verizon, Telstra, Optus and several others have already made public announcements.

While mobile 5G (hotspots) will bring next-generation networks to life on-the-go, in-home 5G is already emerging as an alternative to traditional in-home broadband internet from cable providers. In fact, there have been reports in the United States that early customers of Verizon 5G Home, the leading carrier’s recently launched fixed wireless service, are converts who previously purchased their broadband Internet connectivity from traditional cable companies.

Emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, robotics, 5G and IoT are converging to dramatically impact business and the way we live #Making5GReal @MiFi #MiFiIQ
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Whether it’s their emerging in-home or mobile devices, MiFi IQ 5G NR technology has been performing in real-world trial scenarios
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Whether it’s their emerging in-home or mobile devices, MiFi IQ 5G NR technology has been performing in real-world trial scenarios. In fact, data points to the devices already having achieved more than 2 Gbps of speed and sub-10 milliseconds of latency in multiple component carrier aggregation (CA) scenarios. This was also showcased in Barcelona, with MiFi IQ 5G hotspots being the only devices of their kind to be running live on 5G NR network infrastructure at the conference.

To showcase the capabilities of the MiFi IQ 5G NR hotspot at MWC, they performed the world’s longest live 5G data call alongside network infrastructure partner Ericsson, streaming video and other data for almost seven hours at the show.

“This is an exciting milestone for 5G NR. And our MiFi IQ 5G NR hotspot is the only hotspot to be running live at Mobile World Congress this week,” said Ashish Sharma Chief Marketing Officer, EVP IoT & Mobile Solutions at Inseego.

While the MiFi IQ lines are focused on consumers and prosumers, Ctrack by Inseego and Skyus by Inseego highlights the convergence of 5G and IoT device-to-cloud solutions.

IoT device-to-cloud intelligent solutions include Ctrack by Inseego (this is a widely used IoT device-to-cloud telematics/fleet tracking solution around the world – including with prominent fleets, airlines like Lufthansa/KLM Equipment Services/etc.) and Skyus by Inseego – Industrial IoT 5G/LTE gateways/routers/etc. as well as intelligent cloud software.

Inseego has a rich history in advancing connectivity dating back from the 1990’s where they were known as Novatel #Making5GReal @MiFi #MiFiIQ
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MiFi IQ 5G Fixed Wireless

MiFi IQ technology is powering 5G NR in-home/in-office deployment – starting with Verizon 5G Home, Optus in Australia and expanding worldwide. Routers/gateways and other equipment brings 5G “indoors,” giving consumers/prosumers another choice for broadband Internet service. The next generation in home connectivity will be available to areas that aren’t currently served adequately by cable companies, adding extra benefits like superior bandwidth and security. Now, it’s coming from the air instead of cables.

A number of Tier One operators around the world are working with Inseego to bring their 5G NR services to life #Making5GReal @MiFi #MiFiIQ
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SoftBank-backed CloudMinds also marked the global debut of its technology powered by the HARIX Cloud Brain platform and connected with MiFi IQ 5G NR technology at MWC.

At MWC I checked out their XR-1 robot in action. This is the first humanoid service robot with vision-controlled manipulation capabilities powered by Cloud AI via 5G connectivity. It features Smart Compliant Actuator (SCA) technology for precision grasping, and Human Augmented Robotics Intelligence using the company’s eXtreme Reality (HARIX) platform, the robot can be controlled remotely by a person in a different location wearing VR goggles, but can also perform a range of intricate tasks autonomously. such as threading a needle or shaking hands with someone, applying the right amount of pressure as they do so. These “tactile capability” tasks might seem simple, but are actually incredibly difficult to perform to what would be deemed an acceptable level of competency in an average human.

Inseego performed world’s longest live 5G data call with their partners Ericsson at #MWC19 #Making5GReal @MiFi #MiFiIQ
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One of the robots at the show, named Rachel, was able to find and grab a bottle as it was placed around a table, then “serve” it to a guest. Two other robots were performing an intricate dance with, I have to say, considerably more grace and rhythm than I’ve seen on many a wedding dance floor.

All of these demonstrations were great fun to watch, but the point they were demonstrating is that in order to enable all that to happen, the robots needed to be plugged into a high throughput/speed infrastructure with virtually no delay (latency) all of which were brilliantly delivered by MiFi IQ 5G connectivity. It helps to paints a vibrant picture of how cloud artificial intelligence, robotics and 5G connectivity are coming together to transform various industries and society as a whole.

One of the #CloudMinds robots at MWC, named Rachel, was able to find and grab a bottle as it was placed around a table, then serve it to a guest #Making5GReal @MiFi #MiFiIQ
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Tech Trends offers a broad range of Digital Consultancy services to guide companies, individuals and brands in effectively leveraging existing and emerging technologies in their business strategy.

Alice Bonasio is an Emerging Technologies Consultant and Tech Trends’ Editor in Chief. She regularly contributes to publications such as Fast Company, Ars Technica, Quartz, Wired and others. Alice also curates the Inside VR & AR Newletter. Connect with her on LinkedIn and follow @alicebonasio on Twitter.

The post Re-imagining 5G Connectivity appeared first on Tech Trends.

We can all agree that the future is coming, whether we like it or not. And that future will be carried in 5G waves.

Of course, I exclude from that statement the Brexiteers who seem convinced that returning to the past, with workhouses for the poor and political power and wealth reserved for the elite, is the way forward. Well, Brexit aside (PLEASE), the future banging boldly on our door is a connected one and the technology that will take us into a wireless world of IoT, smart cars, immersive technology and wearables is 5G. And as I discovered at Huawei’s Innovation Day event earlier this month the key to a successful digital future is infrastructure and political will.

One thing none of us can disagree about is that the future is coming, whether we like it or not!
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The installation of new infrastructure is not something we excel at here in the UK where we still use a train network built by the Victorians
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Released this month, Huawei’s white paper ‘Digital Nation: Stronger Economy, Better Society, Adept Governance’ (available here) breaks down the actions governments looking to build for the future need to undertake if any new digital society, government and economy are to succeed. The installation of new infrastructure is not something we excel at here in the UK where we still use a train network built by the Victorians and where successive governments have been ambivalent about truly modernising our country and economy even as the digital age inexorably advances. However, there is still time, (nudge nudge any politicians reading) to do it right and ‘Digital Nation’ spells out how to go about it in simple terms for the rather “limited” leadership we now suffer here in Blighty.

“Digital Nation is much more than a pep talk or a paean of praise for the new information and communications technologies. Digital Nation is a roadmap for governments aiming to put their countries into the fast lane of sustainable development in the 21st Century.” Explained the renowned Prof. Jeffrey Sachs of Columbia University, “Most importantly, Huawei draws on its deep knowledge of the new and emerging technologies, and its remarkable global experience, to highlight practical steps for governments to follow to create a dynamic, healthful, productive digital nation. Huawei also points out several possible roadblocks and impediments, and how to avoid or overcome them.”

Digital Nation is a roadmap for governments aiming to put their countries into the fast lane of sustainable development in the 21st Century.
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Apart from his invention of the word “healthful”, there is nothing here any sane, digitally aware person could disagree with. The paper outlines how research shows that the economy and society transform alongside ongoing digitalization. According to the report published by Huawei and Oxford Economics, digitalization will produce a sustaining effect on the economy, for every one US dollar invested in digital, GDP will grow by 20 dollars.

Digitalization will produce a sustaining effect on the economy, for every one US dollar invested in digital, GDP will grow by 20 dollars
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Digitalization will also facilitate the fulfilment of the UN’s SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals), promoting an increase to economic efficiency in all industries, through the creation of new business models with traditional enterprises applying new digital technologies to enhance their competitive advantages. The convergence of finance and technology is also resulting in the emergence of a new wave of FinTech enterprises that Britain, as a global financial services hub, should be championing.

All of our industries and sectors will benefit from a coherent digital strategy, Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) can effectively increase carrying capacity and speed, and lower the failure rate of infrastructure. Smart grid technology is helping to optimize power generation, transmission, transformation, storage, distribution, and consumption. In manufacturing, traditional manufacturers are upgrading by digitalizing technological processes, with many new products & technologies emerging as a result.

Applications such as virtual classrooms have gradually matured, and are alleviating difficulties previously faced in education. Digitalization optimizes resource allocation and improves lives
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Globally, intelligent health risk prevention, public medical resources sharing, facilitation of professional training, and collaborative operation of medical facilities will solve key pain points in the healthcare field. Other applications such as remote education, customized content, and virtual classrooms have gradually matured, and are alleviating difficulties previously faced in education. Clearly, digitalization optimizes resource allocation and improves lives across the board. However, this can only happen if we build a digital network capable of supporting it.

“Perhaps the most important lesson imparted by Huawei is the need to think, plan, and act holistically, and inclusively. The digital revolution can help the world to achieve key global goals – shared prosperity, good governance, high-quality public services, and environmental protection – if the digital technologies are deployed in an open environment that encourages mutual communications among citizens, consumers, businesses, and government, and the inclusion of all citizens.” Continued Prof. Sachs. “The government has a major responsibility to ensure that the digital systems benefit from unified standards, integrated management, and adequate financial resources.”

Digitalization will assist in the realization of interactive policy channels, self-service transactions, integrated data management, and reliable information encryption in order to improve government services
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It’s important to point out that digital innovation won’t only help business and the public but would also help governments govern. Digitalization could improve government efficiency, urban administration and assist in the realization of interactive policy channels, self-service transactions, integrated data management, and reliable information encryption in order to improve government services. Digitalization will also boost the formation of a new-era urban management system with self-adaptive environmental protection, independent emergency response, self-verifiable food traceability, and autonomous municipal regulations. I could go on but think my point is made.

Every nation will encounter difficulties and challenges during the process of digitalization, including ambiguity about who should organize and implement the initiatives, insufficient supporting resources, inadequate societal participation, a lack of flexible response to change (Nooooooo never), and lack of unified standards. Therefore, the paper suggests, governments should act now and take proactive measures such as organization, investment, implementation, and regulation to effectively act as practitioners, motivators, and regulators in digitalization.

Governments should act now and take proactive measures such as organization, investment, implementation and regulation, to effectively act as practitioners, motivators, and regulators in digitalization
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Digitalization is a global trend. With the development of infrastructure and technology (broadband, Internet, cloud, big data, and the Internet of Things), digitalization has also undergone a gradual transition from basic informatization to more comprehensive intelligent capabilities. Based on national digitalization strategy statements and the relevant definitions put forward by major economic organizations and experts, Huawei and Roland Berger propose a theoretical framework for a Digital Nation (Figure below). Empowered by digitalization, a Digital Nation can promote economic vitality, bolster societal wellbeing, and improve governance efficiency and fairness.

Empowered by digitalization, a Digital Nation can promote economic vitality, bolster societal wellbeing, and improve governance efficiency and fairness
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Key measures include building a top-down and integrated digital department, establishing a vertical organization specialized in key areas, expanding sources of funding, investing in ICT infrastructure, attracting and training digital talent, forming internal technical foundations, providing open access to public governmental database, implementing digital applications for e-Government, cultivating a digital ecosystem, developing global standards, establishing evaluation indicators, and ensuring data security and privacy, as well as encouraging the exchange of data.

If we in the UK are to thrive outside the EU we need to take ourselves seriously and get started building a viable digital future or we will be left even further behind
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The first level of need is to deploy ICT infrastructure. This is the foundation of a digital economy. Take China as an example. The digital economy is developing rapidly, and the industrial scale of digital transformation reached CNY21 trillion in 2017, accounting for 25% of China’s total GDP. This development was attributed to the rapid construction of ICT infrastructure. Today, China has over 3.4 million 4G base stations, accounting for over 55% of the total mobile communications base stations worldwide. As video, virtual reality, and Industrial Internet of Things gain momentum, the speed of 5G network construction is increasing, says Guo Ping, Chaiman of Huawei

Key measures include building a top-down and integrated digital department, establishing a vertical organization specialized in key areas, expanding sources of funding, investing in ICT infrastructure
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Now it is important to note that as a Chinese company Huawei has been widely discredited as a technology and 5G infrastructure supplier and was, most recently, rejected by New Zealand as a possible partner for 5G implementation. However few people point out that they are already embedded in our UK national 4G infrastructure so are we now going to blindly follow the likes of America and cut them out of our vital 5G investment? I seriously doubt Britain will grasp the nettle and digitise our way to Brexit glory but we need to take Huawei’s advice as we are way behind here and if we are to thrive – or, perhaps more realistically, survive – outside the EU we need to take ourselves seriously and get started or we will be left even further behind.

Tom Atkinson is a Digital Producer & Photographer at R3Digital and Reviews & Dept. Editor at Tech Trends. Connect on LinkedIn and follow him on Twitter @R3Digital

The post Look Out! The 5G Future is Coming appeared first on Tech Trends.

5G connections will surpass one billion by 2023 according to CCS insights.

We have recently seen a flurry of operators stating their ambitions to rollout 5G services more quickly than previously planned. This has prompted tech analyst firm CCS Insight to revise its forecast, raising near-term expectations for these services.

Their new report now predicts that 5G connections will reach 340 million in 2021, before surpassing 1 billion in the first half of 2023. By 2025, the total is expected to hit 2.7 billion, equivalent to more than one connection in every five in the world.

“The intentions of major US carriers to launch 5G in late 2018 have been clear for a while. But recently we’ve seen greater urgency to deploy networks from providers in Europe, the Middle East and China,” said Kester Mann, principal analyst at CCS Insight. “While Europe may still be around a year adrift of the leading markets in 5G, some regional operators are clearly determined to launch commercial services as soon as next year”.

Last week, Telia launched a pre-commercial 5G network in Helsinki in preparation for a full commercial offering in 2019. The Nordic provider has a pedigree in early launches of mobile technology, having claimed to be “first in the world” to launch commercial 4G, in late 2009.

The new report by CCS Insights now predicts that 5G connections will reach 340 million in 2021
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Recent bullish statements from other networks including Telecom Italia, BT, Swisscom and Telenor point to 5G becoming a commercial reality in Europe sooner than previously assumed. Finnish operator Elisa has even gone a step further, claiming to have launched a commercial network already – albeit without supporting devices.

These ambitions contrast with the more cautious approach of major groups like Vodafone, Orange, Deutsche Telekom and Telefonica, which have only committed to commercial 5G services in 2020. “Nevertheless, once networks are launched, the motivation to bring users onto them will be huge”, says Mann.

5G connections worldwide, 2018-2025 Source: CCS Insight Market Forecast: 5G Connections, Worldwide, 2018-2015

Recently we've seen greater urgency to deploy 5G networks from providers in Europe, the Middle East and China
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Another region with a positive near-term outlook is the Middle East, after a quartet of regional providers made bold claims of early network deployments within days of each other in May 2018. According to the report, these assertions are likely to have been motivated by local one-upmanship, yet illustrate more bullish expectations for the region than previously assumed.

The iPhone is unlikely to be among the first 5G phones in 2019
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The report further states that it expects China to overtake the US to become the biggest 5G market in 2020, with 40 million connections. By 2025, connections in China will surpass 1 billion, accounting for nearly four connections in every ten worldwide. The country remains the biggest source globally of 5G adoption by far, with indications that the country’s largest operator, China Mobile, may launch ahead of previous expectations, in 2019. Additionally, local infrastructure suppliers Huawei and ZTE may sharpen their focus on the domestic market following recent geopolitical tension that has led to more challenging environments in several markets, including the US and Australia. And a potential merger of China Telecom and China Unicom has been rumoured to be driven by a desire to achieve global 5G supremacy.

In the US, carriers are gearing up to launch the first commercial 5G networks, possibly as soon as this month. The initial focus will be on fixed wireless technology, but without supporting smartphones this will remain a niche opportunity, as it will account for just one percent of 5G connections worldwide by 2025.

China is expected to overtake the US as the biggest 5G market in 2020
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Indeed, all these early network launches wouldn’t allow users to move to 5G connections without the efforts of smartphone makers and chipset suppliers to deliver the first 5G-enabled mobile phones as soon as Spring 2019. The very first handsets will have room for improvement, but by the end of 2019, it is expected that many major flagship smartphones will support the new technology. especially in affluent countries. The iPhone is unlikely to be among the first 5G phones in 2019. But despite Apple’s possible late arrival, almost 60 million 5G-enabled smartphones are forecast to be sold in 2019.

“This means Android smartphone makers will jump at the opportunity to offer some innovation in the hope of tempting people to replace their phone next year”, concludes Marina Koytcheva, vice president of forecasting at CCS Insight.

Alice Bonasio is a VR and Digital Transformation Consultant and Tech Trends’ Editor in Chief. She also regularly writes for Fast Company, Ars Technica, Quartz, Wired and others. Connect with her on LinkedIn and follow @alicebonasio on Twitter.

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