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<ul><li>Qualcomm’s latest chipset, <keyword id="12635619" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="snapdragon-8-gen-1" source="Orion">Snapdragon 8 Gen 1</keyword>, will power the upcoming Motorola Edge.</li><li>The chipset is also set to feature on AR wearables developed by Motorola and Lenovo.</li><li>The wearable is being developed for Verizon 5G network.<br /></li></ul>After Qualcomm announced its latest flagship chipset, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/snapdragon-8-gen-1-chip-improved-performance-camera-capabilities-and-more/slidelist/88022289.cms">Snapdragon 8 Gen 1</a>, Motorola claimed that they would be releasing the first smartphone powered by the latest processor. Now, it seems like Motorola may be working on a new wearable as well, featuring the <keyword id="12644209" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="snapdragon-8-gen-1-chipset" source="Orion">Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset</keyword>. <br /><br />A report in <a href="https://www.androidcentral.com/motorola-snapdragon-8-gen-1-smartphone-wearable">Android Central</a> mentions Ruben Castano, Motorola's head of customer experience, teasing a new wearable that will utilise Qualcomm’s latest chipset. Castano has said that the company is bringing one of the first Snapdragon 8 smartphones and a one-of-its-kind 5G wearable. The upcoming Motorola Edge smartphone will be the one to be powered by Snapdragon 8 while with the leaks out we know what to expect from the AR headset.<br /><br /><cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Project Ironman" comment="subhead" text="Project Ironman"><span data-til="noop">Project Ironman</span></cmsannotation><br />The development of the AR headset is being called “Project Ironman '' and it is a collaboration of Lenovo and Motorola. Leakster Evan Blass shared some images of the upcoming wearable and gave us an insight into what it may look like.<br /><div type="twitter" handle="evleaks" handlename="Ev" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1445232526600118272/gQoxsX08_normal.jpg" favoritecount="177" retweetcount="14" status="What do you get when you cross a Lenovo AR headset with a Motorola-designed, touchpad-bearing neckband -- all of it… https://t.co/87lWEArlbB" createdat="1638371887000" id="1466064072105938948"></div><br />The image of the glasses shared by @evleaks resemble Lenovo’s <a href="https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/thinkrealitya3/">ThinkReality A3</a> that is tethered to Motorola’s moto g100 to enable AR solutions. However, the Project Ironman glasses will also feature a touchpad-bearing neckband designed by Motorola in addition to the glasses. The neckband seems to be Motorola’s primary contribution to the wearable and it connects to the glasses via USB Type-C cable.<br /><br />For now, we know that this product is being developed for Verizon 5G networks. However, with Motorola’s next Edge phone set for launch, we may hear more about the wearable very soon. <br /><br />As for the pricing, <a href="https://liliputing.com/2021/12/project-ironman-is-an-ar-headset-that-may-land-on-verizons-5g-network.html">liliputing </a>expects it to be somewhere between $2000 (approx ₹1,50,000) to $2500 (₹1,87,500), which is still cheaper than its competitor, Microsoft <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/hololens/buy">Hololens 2</a>’s $3,500 price tag.<br /><br /><strong>SEE ALSO:</strong><br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/gadgets/news/qualcomm-unveils-its-new-windows-pc-chip-snapdragon-8cx-gen-3/slidelist/88042964.cms">Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 — Qualcomm unveils its new Windows PC chip</a><br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/linkedin-is-now-available-in-hindi/articleshow/88043338.cms">LinkedIn is now available in Hindi</a><br />

Project Ironman: Leak sheds light on Motorola’s AR glasses with touchpad-bearing neckband and Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset

As the world prepares for the <keyword id="11121339" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="metaverse" source="Orion">Metaverse</keyword>, <keyword id="6355629" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="google" source="Orion">Google</keyword>'s '<keyword id="12654674" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Project-Starline" source="Orion">Project Starline</keyword>', a technology project that would enable friends, families and coworkers to be together virtually, even when they're cities (or countries) apart, has revealed that it feels much closer to being in the same room with someone via a telepresence system than traditional video calls.<br /><br />During a 'Project Starline' test, Google saw an increase in some of the most important signals that are often lost in video calls, such as attentiveness, memory recall and overall sense of presence.<br /><br />"Project Starline is the culmination of advances we've made across 3D imaging, real-time compression, spatial audio and our breakthrough light field display system that, when combined, enables a sense of depth and realism that feels like in-person communication," according to the company.<br /><br />The tech giant first shared its vision around ‘Project Starline' at Google I/O 2021 in May this year.<br /><br />Google employees then spent thousands of hours using ‘Project Starline' to onboard, interview and meet new teammates, pitch ideas to colleagues and engage in one-on-one collaboration.<br /><br />People displayed more non-verbal behaviours such as 40 per cent more hand gestures, 25 per cent more head nods and 50 per cent more eyebrow movements.<br /><br />"People had much better memory recall when using Project Starline, tracking nearly 30 per cent better when being asked to recall details of their conversation or the content of a meeting," the findings showed.<br /><br />People also focused 15 per cent more on their meeting partner in an eye-tracking experiment, suggesting that visual attentiveness is enhanced when using ‘Project Starline'.<br /><br />"These early results show promise for Project Starline's ability to facilitate more personal connections from afar," said Andrew Nartker, Director, Product Management, in a blog post.<br /><br /><strong>SEE ALSO:</strong><br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/uber-now-lets-you-book-rides-from-whatsapp/articleshow/88045049.cms">Uber now lets you book rides on WhatsApp in Lucknow — slated to roll out in more Indian cities soon</a><br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/gadgets/news/motorolas-ar-glasses-with-touchpad-bearing-neckband-and-snapdragon-8-gen-1-chipset/articleshow/88044197.cms">Project Ironman: Leak sheds light on Motorola’s AR glasses with touchpad-bearing neckband and Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset</a><br />

Google's ‘Project Starline' to virtually make people feel closer than traditional video calls

<ul><li>A user’s <keyword id="9622655" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="poco-m3" source="Orion">Poco M3</keyword> caught fire and exploded last week.</li><li>The company assures support and investigation into the cause of the blast.</li><li>The image of the blast shows a destroyed smartphone with a burnt-out bottom, and only the camera module is visible.</li></ul>In yet another smartphone explosion, a <keyword id="6785002" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="poco" source="Orion">Poco</keyword> M3 blasted and it was shared by the user’s brother on Twitter. We have had a few smartphone blasts in India over the past few months, notably a few of them involved <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/oneplus-nord-2-smartphone-caught-in-another-blast-incident/articleshow/87599625.cms">OnePlus Nord 2</a>.<br /><br />In this incident, Mahesh (@<a href="https://twitter.com/Mahesh08716488">Mahesh08716488</a>) shared a tweet with an image of the destroyed phone. He claimed that his brother’s Poco M3 blasted on the morning of November 27. However, he did not give any details about the reason for the blast or if anyone was injured due to the explosion.<br /><br />Poco acknowledged the tweet and responded that customers’ safety was very important and that it took such matters seriously. Surprisingly, both Mahesh and Poco’s tweets have now been deleted.<br /><strong><br /><cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Poco M3 destroyed by the blast" comment="subhead" text="Poco M3 destroyed by the blast"><span data-til="noop">Poco M3 destroyed by the blast</span></cmsannotation></strong><br />In the image shared by Mahesh, you could see the bottom half of the phone, completely burnt and destroyed and only the camera module was visible. After the incident was notified, the company assured that a team was investigating to find out the cause of the blast and it wants to resolve the matter quickly. <br /><br />When we reached out to Poco for a statement, they responded, “at POCO India, customer safety is of utmost importance and we take such matters extremely seriously. At this stage, our team contacted the concerned customer as soon as the issue was notified and is awaiting his visit to the nearest service center. We are committed to examine the issue in detail, and extend all our support to the customer and resolve this on priority. All our devices go through various levels of stringent quality tests to ensure that the quality of the device is not compromised at any level.”<br /><br />We have reached out to the user as well to find out more details about the explosion, however, we are yet to hear from him and we will update the story as we receive a response.<br /><br />This is the second such incident involving Poco, as earlier in September a <a href="https://www.91mobiles.com/hub/poco-x3-pro-blast-allegation-report/">Poco X3 Pro had caught fire</a>, which the company classified under ‘customer induced damage’.<br /><br />These incidents are becoming a concern for the users and smartphone makers should address them soon. Whether these incidents take place due to manufacturing defects or customer negligence, here’s how you can <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/heres-how-you-can-protect-your-smartphone-from-exploding/slidelist/87625685.cms">protect your smartphone from exploding.</a><br /><br /><strong>SEE ALSO:</strong><br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/uber-now-lets-you-book-rides-from-whatsapp/articleshow/88045049.cms">Uber now lets you book rides on WhatsApp in Lucknow — slated to roll out in more Indian cities soon</a><br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/gadgets/news/motorolas-ar-glasses-with-touchpad-bearing-neckband-and-snapdragon-8-gen-1-chipset/articleshow/88044197.cms">Project Ironman: Leak sheds light on Motorola’s AR glasses with touchpad-bearing neckband and Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset</a><br />

Another smartphone from a popular Chinese manufacturer burst into flames, this time it’s the Poco M3

<br /><ul><li><keyword id="6354775" type="TECHNOLOGY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Smartphones">Smartphones</keyword> are evolving at a rapid pace. Changes, big and small, are affecting the way people communicate daily.</li><li><keyword id="3660030" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="5g-connectivity">5G connectivity</keyword> will have a big role to play in how smartphone usage evolves over the next few years.</li><li>We may not see anymore pop-up selfie cameras in the near future but there will definitely be more cameras and more megapixels.</li></ul>The next wave of smartphones have some new and innovative features in store, especially with the onset of 5G network across the world.<br /><br />In 2019, trends like the pop-selfie camera or gaming smartphones didn’t really take off in the mainstream but did well within their niche audience.<br /><br />Other trends like gaming capacity smartphone chipsets, additional cameras and the megapixel war were appreciated by most. <br /><br /><strong>Here five key trends that you can expect in <keyword id="982948" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="future-smartphones">future smartphones</keyword>:<br /></strong><br /><strong>1. 5G connectivity<br /></strong><br />With most countries around the world gearing up to set up their <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india-is-as-prepared-as-us-or-australia-to-welcome-the-5g-era/articleshow/71499916.cms">5G networks</a>, smartphone makers are also preparing by launching smartphones with 5G capabilities. <br /><br />As of now, 5G capable phones are rare and expensive. They also can’t be used to their full potential since 5G networks are <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/here-are-the-us-cities-we-know-will-have-5g-networks-lit-up-for-samsungs-new-galaxy-s10-5g-phone/articleshow/68104683.cms">yet to fully roll out</a>.<br /><br />A few companies have taken the leap and launched their 5G smartphones like the — Oppo Reno 5G and the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/You-can-now-buy-Samsungs-first-5G-smartphone-but-its-main-selling-point-will-be-useless-until-more-cities-get-5G/articleshow/69363399.cms">Samsung Galaxy S10 5G</a> — but their availability is limited to their home markets.<br /><br />Other 5G phones like the Huawei Mate 20 X, Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G and the Motorola Moto Z4 too have limited reach. <br /><br />5G will mean faster network connectivity and lower latency for smartphone users.<br /><br /><strong>2. Foldable phones<br /></strong><br />Foldable phones aren’t far from being a reality with every brand working on their own prototype. In fact, Samsung’s already launched its <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/the-samsung-galaxy-fold-has-a-new-release-date-heres-how-to-get-one/articleshow/71104621.cms">Galaxy Fold</a> and Huawei recently released the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/samsung-and-huawei-are-both-launching-foldable-smartphones-this-year-heres-how-they-compare/amp_articleshow/68159844.cms">Mate X</a>.<br /><br />Google and Apple will <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/samsung-google-apple-rumours-galaxy-fold-screen-technology/articleshow/68263838.cms">reportedly</a> use Samsung’s foldable screen device to launch their own versions.<br /><br />India’s first foldable phone might be a Xiaomi device — the Mi Fold or the Mi Flex. The phone’s launch was expected this year, but the company is yet to announce any plans.<br /><br /><strong>3. More cameras, more megapixels and more depth<br /></strong><br />It’s the year of the cameras as smartphone brands hone in on the triple camera and quad camera design. The Samsung Galaxy Fold boasts of six cameras while Nokia has already launched their ‘pentacam’ PureView smartphone with five cameras.<br /><br />It’s not just the number of cameras that are increasing but also the megapixels that they can capture.<br /><br />Sony’s IMX 586 camera sensor was a boon allowing cameras to shoot up to 48 megapixels. Samsung’s ISOCELL GW1 sensor takes that same technology — the quad pixel array — forward to deliver a maximum output of 64 megapixels.<br /><br />Upcoming Xiaomi and Samsung smartphones will have the capability to shoot more than 100 megapixels.<br /><br />Another unique feature that we might see on phone’s more often is 3D depth sensors for cameras. “It uses the known speed of light to measure distance, effectively counting the amount of time it takes for a reflected beam of light to return to the camera sensor,” according to Samsung. The sensor is already available on Samsung Galaxy S10 5G.<br /><br /><strong>4. More power and better graphics<br /></strong><br />Smartphone users want more power on their phones. A few are even buying ‘gaming’ smartphones, even though they don’t game, for the additional processing capacity.<br /><br />Companies are also integrating Qualcomm’s ‘gaming’ chipset, the Snapdragon 855 Plus, into their flagship mobile phones. The OnePlus 7T and 7T Pro, Vivo Nex 3, Xiaomi Mi 9 Pro and Xiaomi Redmi K20 Pro are some devices that aren’t necessarily marketing themselves as gaming smartphones but come equipped with the new chipset.<br /><br />More phones will employ more powerful chipsets and their accompanying GPU’s as games become more graphic intensive but they may not necessarily launch gaming smartphones.<br /><br /><strong>5. Augmented reality and virtual reality (AR and VR)<br /></strong><br />There’s already a lot being done to bring augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) technology to smartphones. <br /><br />Google’s Pixel 3A deployed some of ARCore’s technology — Google’s platform to build AR solutions — to bring users AR maps. It allows directions to pop up as a part of the scene being captured by the camera lens along with a distance countdown. <br /><br />Apple has plans to launch the AR-enabled ‘Apple Glasses’. The company has been heavily investing in ARKit to develop AR use cases for mobile devices and Apple’s Glasses would be positioned as an iPhone accessory.<br /><br />The technology is already available, the question is how creatively can developers apply it.<br /><br /><strong>See also:</strong><br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/miscellaneous/the-iphone-11-is-missing-6-modern-smartphone-features-and-it-feels-like-a-placeholder-for-something-better-coming-later/slidelist/71137168.cms">The iPhone 11 Is Missing 6 Modern Smartphone Features, And It Feels Like A Placeholder For Something Better Coming Later</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/india-is-as-prepared-as-us-or-australia-to-welcome-the-5g-era/articleshow/71499916.cms">India is as prepared as US or Australia to welcome the 5G era</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/motorola-one-macro-targets-users-who-like-macro-photography/articleshow/71506790.cms">Motorola’s new smartphone targets users with flair for macro photography</a><br />

Five key features to expect in future smartphones

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Some of the year's major new tech products, from the 5G <keyword id="8291932" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="iPhone-12">iPhone 12</keyword> to foldable phones and new consoles from <keyword id="6358540" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="sony">Sony</keyword> and <keyword id="10387" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Microsoft">Microsoft</keyword>, are based on technologies that aren't quite useful yet — but will be in a few years.</li><li>Today's widely delayed 5G networks, for example, aren't much faster than 4G LTE networks. </li><li>5G was positioned as being the biggest upgrade in <keyword id="6354427" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="apple">Apple</keyword>'s iPhone 12 lineup.</li><li>Foldable phones like the <keyword id="8175045" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="microsoft-surface-duo">Microsoft Surface Duo</keyword> and <keyword id="9529131" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="samsung-galaxy-z-fold-2">Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2</keyword> are still likely too expensive to justify the benefits they offer for most people.</li><li>And next-generation gaming consoles rely on technology that most TVs don't support right now.</li><li>Taken together, these technologies are more significant for the foundation they lay for the years to come rather than their immediate usefulness. </li></ul><p>The technology industry is synonymous with change and forward-looking products. But in 2020, that approach may have been taken a bit too literally.</p><p>Technologies that have long been buzzwords or distant concepts — such as 5G, augmented reality, and foldable screens — are now playing a bigger role than ever in new products from Apple, <keyword id="10591" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Samsung">Samsung</keyword>, and Microsoft. </p><p>The problem? Those technologies aren't quite ready for prime time, sometimes resulting in products that either feel half-baked or don't justify an immediate upgrade, despite the hype. </p><p>Still, the products themselves are important because they provide the foundation for more refined devices and technologies that are likely to come. Or they "future proof" certain product lines. Apple's iPhone 12 lineup, for example, is built to still support the latest and greatest technology a few years from now when it is indeed ready for the masses.</p><p>In other words: the most headline-grabbing gadgets of 2020 — from the 5G iPhone 12 to foldable phones like Microsoft's Surface Duo and next-generation gaming consoles — are more about setting the stage for the future than offering improvements that are immediately useful today.</p><h2>5G needs to catch to the promise of Apple's new iPhones</h2><p>Let's start with <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-iphone-12-review">Apple's iPhone 12</a>, which the tech giant unveiled earlier this month. 5G was positioned as being the biggest upgrade to come to Apple's new smartphone lineup, with CEO Tim Cook calling it "the beginning of a new era for iPhone."</p><p>The iPhone 12 is far from being the first 5G smartphone — Android device makers like Samsung, Google, and Motorola all announced multiple 5G phones before Apple did.</p><p>But the fact that the network is becoming standard on the latest iPhones does mean that millions of additional people will now have phones that are compatible with the new network. Those people are also probably expecting to see a big jump in network performance after unboxing their new iPhones. </p><p>That won't be the case. 5G networks that are available broadly across the country today from major carriers offer speeds that are only incrementally faster than what you would experience with a 4G LTE connection. Both <a href="https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2019/08/verizon-5g-speeds-on-low-spectrum-bands-will-be-more-like-good-4g/">Verizon</a> and <a href="https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2019/11/at-launch-atts-real-5g-will-only-be-as-fast-as-its-fake-5g/">AT&amp;T</a> have also acknowledged that early 5G networks will be comparable to fast 4G LTE networks. </p><p>In my experience using an iPhone 12 on Verizon's 5G network in Queens, New York, average upload and download speeds on 5G only slightly outpaced those of 4G LTE. PCMag's <a href="https://www.pcmag.com/fastest-mobile-networks/2020">Fastest Mobile Networks Test</a> from September also highlights the conundrum with today's 5G networks: Networks are either about the same as 4G LTE, or they're exceptionally fast but difficult to find.</p><p>That's partially because super-speedy networks that deliver significantly higher performance than 4G LTE operate at a limited range. That's why they're only found in small and dense areas, like specific streets in downtown areas of certain cities or stadiums. </p><p>As such, it's not wise to upgrade to the latest iPhone <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-iphone-12-release-5g-not-reason-to-upgrade-2020-10">specifically because of 5G</a>. Still, building 5G into the latest iPhone will allow it to remain relevant for years to come. Those spending between $700 and $1,100 on a new iPhone probably want a device that will last for at least three years. </p><p>And by then, 5G networks are likely to be far more developed and widespread than they are today. Adding 5G to the iPhone 12, even if 5G compatibility alone doesn't justify an upgrade in 2020, prevents this year's iPhones from feeling wholly irrelevant by 2022. </p><p>5G network support isn't the only forward-looking technology found on Apple's latest iPhones. The iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max are also Apple's <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-iphone-12-pro-release-lidar-augmented-reality-glasses-2020-10">first iPhones to come with a LiDAR scanner</a> — which stands for Light Detection and Ranging — allowing them to measure depth much more accurately. </p><div type="image" title="iPhone 12 Pro camera lenses" height="750" width="1000" msid="78985315" hostid="261"></div><p>The sensor gives augmented reality applications a big boost in performance since it enables the iPhone to more accurately detect nearby surfaces, and also offers some photography-oriented benefits. </p><p>Apple CEO Tim Cook has been vocal about the potential he sees for augmented reality, and the iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max represent the first iPhones to come with dedicated hardware for AR. </p><p>Still, there hasn't been a breakout AR app since Pokemon Go launched in 2016, so augmented reality performance probably isn't a selling point for most people today. But Apple is rumored to be working on a dedicated headset for AR, and building LiDAR into its new Pro iPhones could serve as an important step along the way. </p><h2>Foldable phones still aren't worth the high price for most people</h2><p>Smartphones are evolving in other ways beyond the cellular networks they connect to and their sensors. Companies like Samsung, Motorola, and, most recently, Microsoft have developed mobile devices with foldable designs that enable them to either double as both a tablet and a smartphone or become more compact by folding in half.</p><p>Samsung launched its first foldable phones last year, while Microsoft in September debuted the Surface Duo, which consists of two screens connected by a flexible hinge. The Duo is Microsoft's first major reentry into the smartphone market, a launch that had been anticipated ever since the company revealed the foldable device back in October 2019.</p><div type="image" title="Surface Duo bent back" height="694" width="971" msid="78985316" hostid="261"></div><p>It's encouraging to see some of the world's largest and most influential technology companies thinking about what's next for the smartphone. After all, mobile phones haven't changed much in terms of design since the original iPhone launched in 2007.</p><p>Yes, they've become exceptionally powerful and sleek since then, but their general shape is the same: a slab of glass packed with processors, sensors, and cameras. Microsoft, Samsung, and others are looking to change that.</p><p>But currently available foldable phones still feel like early steps in that direction in some ways. For most people, they likely don't justify the premium you must pay to get the benefits of a device that can function as both a phone and a tablet. </p><p>That's especially true for the $1,400 <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-surface-duo-phone-review">Microsoft Surface Duo,</a> which received lukewarm reviews in early September largely because its software didn't feel polished enough and it fell short of the camera quality you'd expect from a phone of that price.</p><p>Samsung's <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/samsung-galaxy-z-fold-2-review">Galaxy Z Fold 2</a> showcases the best of what a foldable phone can be in 2020, but it comes at the exceptionally high price of $2,000. It's also Samsung's fourth foldable phone — launching after the ill-fated original Galaxy Fold, the appropriately named Galaxy Z Flip, and the 5G version of that modern take on the flip phone.</p><p>That Samsung has released four foldable phones in about a year suggests that tech giants are still experimenting when it comes to designing the ideal foldable phone. </p><h2>The tech needed to support the game-changing visuals of next-gen consoles is only available on new, expensive TVs</h2><p>The pattern of launching gadgets with technologies that are slightly ahead of their time isn't specific to the smartphone market. Next-generation consoles from Microsoft and Sony promise to deliver gameplay with stunning visuals at a significantly higher frame rate, resulting in buttery smooth performance.</p><div type="image" title="BI PS5" height="2680" width="4020" msid="78985317" hostid="261"></div><p>But you'll need a TV that supports 4K resolutions and 120Hz refresh rates to experience those gains, as my colleague <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/xbox-playstation-next-gen-specs-graphics-support-4k-120-fps-2020-10">Ben Gilbert noted</a>, and such TVs are still relatively new to the market. Sony, for example, just announced its <a href="https://www.techradar.com/news/sony-ps5-ready-tv">"Ready for PS5" TVs</a> in June.</p><p>They'll also need to include <a href="https://www.techradar.com/news/new-faster-hdmi-21-cables-are-on-the-way-heres-what-you-need-to-know">an HDMI 2.1 port </a> to facilitate gameplay that takes advantage of all the upgrades the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X have to offer, a rarity on today's TVs. The specification for HDMI 2.1 wasn't even finalized until 2017. Usually, it takes several years for devices that adopt new standards to appear on the market, as <a href="https://www.cnet.com/news/hdmi-2-1-is-here-but-dont-worry-about-it-now/">CNET</a> notes.</p><p>Not to mention, TVs that check all of these boxes are wildly expensive, costing more than $1,000, much more than the consoles themselves. </p><p>2020 introduced a few leaps forward for the consumer technology industry that only come once or twice every decade or so — the launch of next-generation gaming consoles, the evolution of cellular networks, and a rethinking of the world's most popular personal computer: the smartphone. </p><p>Just don't expect to see the benefits of these advancements right away. Rather, they underscore the investments made by tech companies and carriers that we'll experience over the long term.</p>

The most exciting new tech gadgets of 2020 are designed for the future, not today

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Apple</span></p><p class="caption">Apple's colorful iPhone Xr is supposed to be more affordable, but it still starts at a cool $749.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul class="summary-list"><li><strong>The smartphone market is showing signs of stagnation, with Apple, Samsung, and Google all reporting this week that it's harder to sell a premium smartphone than it used to be. </strong></li><li><strong>This is for several related reasons: higher costs for incremental improvements, people keeping their current phones or buying cheaper models.</strong></li><li><strong>Apple is fighting this smartphone slowdown by focusing on services like Apple Pay or the Apple TV Plus streaming service, where it can make more money per users. </strong></li><li><strong>Samsung is betting on new developments like 5G internet and foldable screens. </strong></li><li><strong>Both bets are risky in their own ways, and neither seems likely to completely make up for the slow decline of the overall smartphone market. </strong></li><li><strong>The next big gadget is coming: augmented reality goggles. But it's not ready for prime time, and may not be for some while. </strong></li><li><strong><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/">Visit BusinessInsider.com for more stories</a>.</strong></li></ul><p>Apple's latest quarter was sort of a bad news/good news situation.</p><p>The bad news is that sales of the iPhone were down some 17% from the same period of 2018. The good news is that <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-stock-on-a-327-billion-rally-after-iphone-sales-2019-5">Wall Street seems to believe that there's nowhere for the iPhone to go but up</a>, sending Apple's stock soaring.</p><p>There is, however, worse news - not just for Apple, but for the entire smartphone industry.</p><p>Analyst firm <a href="https://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=prUS45042319">IDC reports that smartphone shipments</a> for the first quarter of this year were down 6.6% from the same period of 2018, the same week that <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/google-pixel-smartphone-sales-drop-2019-4">Google CEO Sundar Pichai said that it's harder than it used to be to sell pricey, high-end phones</a>. Samsung, too, <a href="https://news.samsung.com/global/samsung-electronics-announces-first-quarter-2019-results">reported earnings</a> this week, and said that it expects competition in the "mature" smartphone industry to put more pressure on its business in the second half of the year.</p><p>It is hard to see how, or if, the smartphone market returns to growth from here. </p><h2>Holding fast</h2><p>As long ago as 2017, we got indications that <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-long-people-wait-to-upgrade-phones-chart-2017-3">people were hanging onto their smartphones longer</a>. In 2018, major hedge fund <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/maverick-capital-a-105-billion-hedge-fund-is-betting-big-that-the-smartphone-market-has-hit-a-tipping-point-2018-2">Maverick Capital said that the "glory days" of the smartphone revolution were behind us</a>, as the increasingly scant differences between older and newer devices make it harder to justify each successive upgrade.</p><p>New customers are going to be hard to find, too - at least domestically, as <a href="https://qz.com/1407418/us-at-near-saturation-levels-for-smartphone-and-internet-use/">nearly 80% of Americans have smartphones these days</a>.</p><p>Different companies are taking different tactics to hedge against this slowdown.</p><p>Apple has, for instance, doubled down on its services business - Apple Music, iCloud, and Apple Pay - to help the company generate more revenue per iPhone user, which could offset slowing device sales. Expect that strategy to escalate in the future, as the Apple TV Plus streaming service and the Apple Card credit card roll out to consumers.</p><p>This approach is showing some positive early signs, with Apple reporting this week that its services revenue in the latest quarter was <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-q2-2019-earnings-iphone-ipad-services-streaming-video-2019-4">up 16% from the same period a year ago</a>.</p><p>Others, like Samsung, Huawei, and Motorola, are forging ahead in the smartphone market, with bets that new technologies like high-speed 5G wireless internet and foldable screens will entice people to upgrade. Samsung alone is expected to ship this year a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/samsung-galaxy-s10-5g-pre-orders-available-on-verizon-20-new-5g-cities-2019-4">5G-compatible version of the Samsung Galaxy S10</a>, as well as the delayed Galaxy Fold foldable smartphone. </p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Hollis Johnson/Business Insider</span></p><p class="caption">Samsung's Galaxy Fold starts at $1,980.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Realistically, it's going to be a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/att-turns-5g-network-on-in-7-new-cities-first-supported-phone-arrives-spring-2019-4">long time before 5G truly blankets the world,</a> and the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/samsung-galaxy-fold-break-apple-iphone-2019-4">fiasco around the Samsung Galaxy Fold</a> - where some reviewers found that the device broke after only a couple of days of use - shows that it may be a while before foldable smartphones are truly ready for prime time, if they ever are.</p><p><strong><em>Read more</em>: </strong><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/samsung-galaxy-fold-break-apple-iphone-2019-4" data-analytics-position="3">The Samsung Galaxy Fold fiasco is the best example yet of why Apple always waits to get into new markets</a></p><p>And no one can ignore that flagship <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hold-on-to-your-smartphone-for-as-long-as-you-can-2019-1">smartphones are getting pricier</a>: The Samsung Galaxy S10 starts at $900; the latest-model iPhone Xs starts at $999. Prices will, at least at first, be going up from there. The Samsung's 5G-equipped Galaxy S10 will retail for $1,300, and the Galaxy Fold will top that with a starting price of $1,980. </p><p>Eventually, prices are likely to level out, as they always do in the years following the introduction of new technology. Still, this is going to be a tough sell in the short term - folding screen or no, and 5G wireless internet or no, these devices really just run the same apps and websites as less expensive phones, with little meaningful functional difference. Besides, companies like <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/oneplus-phones-vs-apple-iphone-samsung-galaxy-s-2019-4">OnePlus are making perfectly good phones</a>, at medium-range prices.</p><p>So while the smartphone market is not all doom-and-gloom, the glory days of the early smartphone boom are not likely coming back for anyone.</p><h2>So what comes next? </h2><p>The good news is that we can already see what comes after the smartphone. Just about every tech company in Silicon Valley and beyond is at least experimenting with augmented reality (AR), the technology for projecting digital imagery over the real world. </p><p>Companies including Apple, Facebook, Microsoft, Samsung, Google-backed startup Magic Leap, and even <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/epic-games-ceo-tim-sweeney-fortnite-unreal-engine-2019-3">"Fortnite" developer Epic Games</a> all consider AR to be the next great computing interface. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-hololens-2-price-details-hands-on-2019-2">Microsoft</a> and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/magic-leap-one-smartglasses-brazilian-tv-dancing-bears-2018-6">Magic Leap</a> already have AR goggles on the market, with <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-ar-smart-glasses-iphone-details-report-2019-3">Apple said to be working on "smart glasses"</a> that could be unveiled as soon as this year.</p><p>It's pretty clear that all of these companies are looking to AR as the next big gold rush in tech, following the slow stagnation of the smartphone industry.</p><p>They may be right - it's hard to imagine it <em>not </em>happening, given the sheer scale of the investment that every company is making in the market.</p><p>The problem, though, is that augmented reality is nowhere near the point where it can replace the smartphone in any regard. Strictly in terms of functionality, these headsets are too expensive (Microsoft's HoloLens 2 is $3,500), too limited (Magic Leap One and HoloLens 2 both have small fields of view), and, frankly, you look like a dork wearing one, as I can personally attest: </p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Matt Weinberger/Business Insider</span></p><p class="caption">Business Insider's Matt Weinberger tries on the Microsoft HoloLens 2.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>So while there will be a big new thing coming, as there always is, it's clear it won't be here fast enough to bail out the smartphone market.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/samsung-galaxy-fold-review-first-generation-foldable-smartphone-tablet-2019-4">I tried the $1,980 Samsung Galaxy Fold and it's impressive for a first-generation foldable phone, though far from perfect</a></h3>        <div>                    </div>    </div>

The smartphone market is in decline, and nothing is coming to save it

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Asa Mathat for Vox Media</span></p><p class="caption">Magic Leap CEO Rony Abovitz.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul><li><strong>A police report filed by Magic Leap in October alleges that the company was falsely billed for more than $1 million.</strong></li><li><strong>The report alleges that an outside recruiting firm, which worked with with Magic Leap's Senior Manager for Talent Acquisition, collected fees for 39 hires it had no involvement with.</strong></li><li><strong>The incident, for which Magic Leap is considering pressing charges, illustrates the turmoil at the fast-growing company.</strong></li></ul><p><br />Magic Leap, the secretive Florida startup developing futuristic augmented reality glasses, raised a whopping $502 million in October.</p><p>Two days later, it called the cops and told them an employee had stolen over $1 million over a period of 23 months. </p><p>Magic Leap's allegation of theft, which has not been reported until now, is one of several strange problems that have bedeviled the young company, whose innovative technology is a subject of both fascination and skepticism among industry insiders. </p><p>Magic Leap's augmented reality technology has dazzled a string of early users, including celebrities like Shaquille O'Neal and Steven Spielberg, who have been granted access to its Florida test lab to try prototypes. The glasses produce a hallucinatory effect by superimposing advanced computer graphics onto the wearer's view of the real world. </p><p>But the company, led by CEO Rony Abovitz, has been plagued by missed deadlines and executive departures.</p><p>The allegation of the stolen money, involving an HR manager and a recruiting company, follows another incident involving the company's head of security and allegations of extortion. Together, the incidents, deadlines, and departures raise questions about Magic Leap's ability to timely deliver a much-hyped technology that has attracted billions of dollars from backers including Google and Alibaba.</p><h2>A need for bodies</h2><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNSwXlQcou0&amp;t=4s">Magic Leap/YouTube</a></span></p></div><p></p></div></div>Magic Leap's total of $1.9 billion raised since 2011 makes it the most well-funded startup in the AR space. The next most richly funded AR startup is Pokemon Go parent Niantic, which has raised $225 million. </p><p>Those billions have funded huge and rapid growth for a company that now has offices in Los Angeles, Mountain View, Seattle, Austin, Dallas, the UK, New Zealand, and Israel, according to its website. That's in addition to its new headquarters in Plantation, Florida,a former Motorola facility, it moved into in 2017.</p><p>From its beginning in 2011 with a few employees in a room, Magic Leap has swelled into 1,400-person organization, albeit one that has not yet launched a commercial product. </p><p>The rapid growth may have created the opportunity for alleged misdeeds. Magic Leap filed an incident report with the Plantation, Florida police department in October 2017 which alleged that an outside recruiting firm falsely claiming to have filled jobs at the company and collecting the fees.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>LinkedIn</span></p></div><p></p></div></div>The report describes an outside hiring agency called the Hampton Group, that claimed to have worked alongside Magic Leap's Senior Manager for Talent Acquisition at the time, Cheryl Martin. </p><p>According to the October 19 police report, with Martin's help, the Hampton Group invoiced Magic Leap for more than $1,000,000 in recruiting fees for 39 hires from August 2015 to July 2017.  After an internal investigation, the company found the Hampton Group had no involvement in any of those hires, a Magic Leap auditor told the police.</p><p>Magic Leap wants to press charges, according to the police report. The investigation is ongoing, said a person familiar with the matter. Martin did not respond to requests for comment and declined to comment through a representative. In a conversation with Business Insider, Ann Smith of The Hampton Group said she could not remember the events because she had recently taken medication, and later declined to comment through a representative. </p><h2>Not quite standard security procedures</h2><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Magic Leap/Recode</span></p></div><p></p></div></div>But that isn't the only allegation of internal turmoil that Magic Leap is dealing with. On Wednesday, the company filed a pre-emptive lawsuit against Todd Keil, its senior director of global security, who it alleges is trying to extort millions of dollars from the company under the guise of whistleblower lawsuits. You can read the entire complaint <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2018/3/1/17066448/magic-leap-legal-complaint-todd-keil-discrimination-whistleblower-lawsuit-threat-extortion">at The Verge</a>, which first reported the lawsuit. </p><p>In the complaint, Magic Leap makes several explosive allegations, including that Keil paid $250,000 above market rates to hire an Israeli security vendor that he personally knew. Magic Leap also says that Keil has claimed the company may have intended to reverse-engineer Microsoft's Hololens, a competing augmented reality hardware device - a claim that Magic Leap denies.</p><p>The lawsuit also provides a revealing window into the level of mistrust and paranoia at the company, which has struggled to combat leaks, describing an effort to spy on Keil with a digital camera.</p><p>Magic Leap's VP of Physical Security "wanted to assess whether the security cameras in the newly opened Florida facility might be vulnerable to manipulation or disruption by handheld personal devices, including digital cameras," according to the lawsuit, so he stuck a digital camera in the room he shared with Keil.</p><p>A photograph of a Magic Leap prototype was <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/magic-leap-photo-leak-prototype-2017-2">published</a> by Business Insider in February 2017. "As all of you know, certain of our confidential information has recently leaked to the media. This constitutes not only a violation of our policies and procedures, but could also potentially violate various federal criminal statutes," Abovitz wrote in a memo to employees the week after Business Insider's story published. </p><p>Keil did not respond to an emailed request for comment. </p><p>The aim of the complaint filed this week was to head off Keil's efforts, and Magic Leap felt it had nothing to hide, according to a person with knowledge of the company's reasoning behind the preemptive suit. </p><h2>Growing pains or red flags?</h2><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Magic Leap</span></p></div><p></p></div></div>Given Magic Leap's fast growth, some level of turmoil is to be expected. In fact, one person familiar with Magic Leap's operations downplays the significance of the incidents.</p><p>"It's growth pains. That happens when you quadruple in size every year for five years," the person said. </p><p>The race to bring its product to market has resulted in a $50 million per month burn rate, according to a separate person familiar with the matter. And the allegations of financial shenanigans raise questions about its ability to certain employees, even as it seeks to raise more cash.</p><p>Magic Leap filed paperwork <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/magic-leap-looks-set-to-close-on-a-1-billion-series-d-round-2017-10">authorizing</a> it to raise up over $1 billion in its most recent round, and it has continued to seek investment. German media giant Axel Springer, Business Insider's parent company, <a href="http://www.axelspringer.de/en/presse/Axel-Springer-invests-in-Magic-Leap_31760395.html">said</a> it invested an undisclosed amount in Magic Leap last month. Magic Leap is currently in talks with Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund for an investment which could total as much as $400 million, <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/1628458e-18d7-11e8-9376-4a6390addb44">the Financial Times reported</a>. PIF did not return Business Insider's request for comment. </p><p>Magic Leap is not just designing computer hardware and glasses. It also has a large content operation called Magic Leap Studios, with hundreds of employees.</p><p><span>And it's getting closer to finally releasing its product. CEO Abovitz confirmed last month that Magic Leap will release a "creator version" of its smartglasses before the end of the year. T</span><span>he smartglasses are called Lightwear, and they attach with a cord to a pocket-sized computer and battery, called Lightpack. </span></p><p><span>How do the glasses perform? Nearly everyone who has tried Magic Leap's demo has said it is amazing. However, discussion of the experience is limited by a required non-disclosure agreement.</span></p><p>Even Adam Silver said he was constrained from discussing the experience because he signed an NDA while he discussed the NBA's partnership with Magic Leap at a Recode conference last month. "I've signed the NDA too, so I've seen the first generation of it," Silver said.</p><p><span>The company still has some big hurdles to overcome. </span></p><p>One current issue with the headset is battery life and charging; the device doesn't charge while it's plugged in and being used at the same time, according to people familiar with Magic Leap's hardware. Solving this issue is important to ensure that people could continue to use the device while it's plugged in.</p><p>Magic Leap also needs to ensure that there is a strong and steady pipeline of interesting apps and experiences for early adopters of its glasses.</p><p>That's a lot to deal with, even without lawsuits and police reports.</p><p><em>Business Insider's parent company, Axel Springer, is an investor in Magic Leap through its subsidiary Axel Springer Digital Ventures.</em></p>

A Magic Leap employee who allegedly stole $1 million is the latest sign of mayhem at the billion-dollar startup

<p><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;"><div class="KonaFilter image-container float_right click-to-enlarge"><div class="image"><a title_source="Google" title_caption="Google Hangout notifications in Android Wear" class="zoomin" href="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5329ef4eeab8eac355be2961-960/androidwearmessages-1.png"><span class="sprites click-to-enlarge-icon" title="Click to enlarge"></span></a><p class="source"><span>Google</span></p><p class="caption">Google Hangout notifications in Android Wear</p></div><p></p></div>Earlier this week, Google unveiled Android Wear-a version of its smartphone operating system for smartwatches. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">Motorola has already come forward to showcase its Moto 360, one of the first smartwatches that will run on Android Wear, and because Google is making the software free for anyone to download, we now have a really good idea of what you'll be able to do with it once manufacturers start making Android smartwatches.</span></p>
<p>Ars Technica <a href="http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2014/03/in-depth-with-android-wear-googles-quantum-leap-of-a-smartwatch-os/">published a lengthy walkthrough</a> and analysis of the Android Wear emulator, a program that lets you test the operating system on your computer, and from what we've seen its starting to sound a lot like a wrist-worn version of Google Glass. Like Google's wearable display, Android Wear is heavily focused on delivering "glanceable" notifications. This means updates from your social networks, weather notifications and much more will be readily available on your wrist.</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">Similar to Glass, you interact with Android Wear in two ways: voice input and swiping. According to Ars Technica's Ron Amadeo, Google has built in a few gestures that seem to be consistent throughout the user interface. Tapping on a notification such as the weather will expand it, and from there you can swipe to the left will show an extended forecast. Swiping up will display more notifications.</span></p>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"><p class="source"><span>Google</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p>
<p>These basic controls are similar to the way you interact with the touchpad on Google Glass: tapping the touchpad expands the current notification, swiping forward shows a different element of the notification, and swiping down dismisses it. </p>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"><p class="source"><span>Google</span></p><p class="caption">List of voice commands in Android Wear </p></div><p></p></div></div></p>
<p>Android Wear's built-in voice search comes with a guide that offers up suggestions for questions. After tapping the "g" that resides on the home screen, you can drag up to see a list of suggested voice commands, Amadeo said.  This list includes the ability to set an alarm, call a cab, ask Google which song is currently playing (kind of like Shazam), and set reminders. And that's just barely scratching the surface. It sounds similar to the main menu in Glass, which offers choices such as sending a voice call, video call, or performing a Google search.</p>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container"><div class="image"><p class="source"><span>Google</span></p></div><p></p></div></p>
<p>It also seems as if Android Wear will work with any third-party app once the watch is tied to your phone. Since the watch is linked to your smartphone via Bluetooth, it will deliver any notification that appears on your device. <span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;"><br /></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">We haven't seen much about how apps will translate to Android Wear, but we're expecting to learn more as developers actually begin creating apps for the platform. Like Glass, the shell of Android Wear seems to be notification heavy, but it will all depend on how receptive developers are to the platform. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;"><div class="KonaFilter image-container"><div class="image"><p class="source"><span>Google</span></p></div><p></p></div><br /></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">Motorola's Android Wear-based Moto 360 watch will be launching this summer. LG's G Watch is coming soon too, so we're bound to learn more throughout the next several months. </span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"> </span></p>

Here's Your Best Look Yet Of What You'll Be Able To Do With Google's New Android Smartwatches

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="http://www.gettyimages.com/license/891674940">Drew Angerer/Getty Images</a></span></p><p class="caption">2018 is going to be rough for Big Tech.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul><li><strong>The tech industry will get bigger and more powerful in 2018.</strong></li><li><strong>But the backlash against tech that came to the fore in 2017 isn't going away.</strong></li><li><strong>Predictions: The industry will face growing calls for regulation, Netflix is in big trouble, and the augmented reality bubble will burst.<br /></strong></li></ul><p><br />It was <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/google-facebook-and-amazon-are-facing-a-populist-backlash-after-2017-2017-12">a rough year for Big Tech</a>, at least aside from members' financial results.</p><p>After years of unencumbered growth and fawning coverage in the press, the tech giants got hit with a huge backlash in 2017, largely concerning their role in society. After that public relations disaster, no one is probably more glad to see the year come to a close than the members of Big Tech. Unfortunately for those companies, there are few signs the backlash will abate in 2018.</p><p>But a continuation of the giants' image troubles isn't the only thing we can expect in the coming year. Instead, the tech industry and its biggest members are likely to see a mix of good and bad in 2018.</p><p>As we say goodbye to 2017, here are some of the most important things I think will happen in tech next year.</p><h2>There will be a bigger push for regulation in the US</h2><p>The big tech companies grew into behemoths without having to worry much about the US government stepping in to curb their power or dictate how they did things. In fact no one in the halls of power really talked seriously about regulating Big Tech.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque</span></p><p class="caption">Democratic Sen. Mark Warner has been leading the charge when it comes to taking on the tech industry.</p></div><p></p></div></div>But that's changing. The populist backlash against the tech giants this year bled into the halls of the Senate, culminating in one of the first significant efforts to regulate some of those companies - the introduction of the Honest Ads Act. That proposed law would have required people placing political ads on internet sites such as Facebook and Google to follow the same transparency rules that apply to television, radio, and print.</p><p>While that bill stalled, the push for regulation is only going to continue. And the proposed rules could cover a lot more than just political ads. </p><p>For example, Democratic Sen. Mark Warner has held meetings with experts looking into whether or not tech companies intentionally make products addictive, <a href="https://www.axios.com/big-techs-biggest-test-is-ahead-2518973101.html">according to Axios</a>. The meetings come as a growing number of such experts are warning that the dopamine hit you get whenever your Instagram post gets 100+ likes may not be incidental, but an intended result of the design of such features.</p><p>Expect to see additional inquiries along the lines of Warner's. And don't be surprised if you see more bills proposed that might target not only political ads and addiction, but privacy and the industry's arguably anticompetitive practices.</p><p>Of course, the chances of any new regulations being put in place by an antiregulatory Trump administration or any new legislation being passed by a Republican-controlled Congress - even in this political climate - is next to zero. But it is significant that more policymakers are keeping a closer eye on the tech industry.</p><h2>Disney will become Netflix's biggest rival, and a war will begin</h2><p>Netflix has room to worry in the coming year, because Disney is clearly gunning for it.</p><p>The Mouse House's bid to purchase much of 21st Century Fox is clearly aimed at Netflix. But even if the government blocks that deal, Disney is poised to become Netflix's biggest rival.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Associated Press</span></p><p class="caption">Disney CEO Bob Iger has Netflix in his sights.</p></div><p></p></div></div>Next year, the Hollywood giant will launch its first standalone streaming service. That service will be packed full of the conglomerate's impressive collection of movies and television shows, which includes everything from Mickey Mouse to Luke Skywalker. Additionally, Disney-owned ESPN will finally launch its own streaming video service, which should be enticing to those cord cutters who are tired of missing their favorite sports.</p><p>But Disney could be in an even better position to challenge Netflix if the Fox deal does go through. In addition to gaining <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/disney-fox-takeover-deal-a-weapon-against-netflix-2017-12">a majority stake in Netflix-rival Hulu</a>, the Mouse House would get access to more live sports, an even broader assortment of valuable intellectual property, including the movie rights to Marvel's X-Men, and a great collection of television series from the FX network.</p><p>All of this comes in the wake of Disney announcing that it plans to pull its library from Netflix. That move alone is going to force Netflix to spend billions of dollars to develop new TV shows and movies to replace what it's losing from Disney. Those efforts could succeed - or they could be flops.</p><p>Disney, for its part, doesn't have to worry as much about flops. It already has every weapon it needs in its budding war against Netflix.</p><h2>Tech companies will pour more money into Hollywood - but get little in return</h2><p>Apple, Amazon, Google, and Facebook are all investing heavily in developing original movies, television shows, and other video content. Each is slated to pour in billions of dollars in the endeavor.</p><p>Their ambitions are understandable. For Apple, being able to offer some great TV series in Apple Music would help set the service apart from rivals such as Spotify and Pandora. It would also give Apple a way to squeeze more money out of customers after they buy one of its gadgets.</p><p>Meanwhile, Google and Facebook hope to grow their ad businesses by getting a piece of the lucrative television ad market. And Amazon hopes to drive subscriptions to its Prime service, because Prime customers tend to buy more things from it than other consumers.</p><p>But motivations and money aside, the tech giants' efforts aren't likely to produce many hits, if this past year is any indication.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Apple</span></p><p class="caption">will.i.am and his colleagues on Apple's "Planet of the Apps" didn't make a big impression on viewers.</p></div><p></p></div></div>Apple's first original shows, "Carpool Karaoke" and "Planet of the Apps," were not only critical duds, there's little evidence they found a significant audience. Google produced shows for YouTube featuring stars including Ellen DeGeneres and Kevin Hart, but <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/youtube-original-series-are-not-setting-the-world-on-fire-2017-12">viewership has been mediocre</a>. And Facebook's new Watch video service <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/inside-facebooks-watch-strategy-for-tv-original-video">has performed poorly</a>.</p><p>While Amazon's had more success both critically and commercially, that success could be undermined by the recent sexual misconduct allegations <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-studios-roy-price-sexual-remarks-investigation-2017-8">against its former studio head</a> and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/jeffrey-tambor-of-transparent-investigated-by-amazon-for-sexual-harassment-2017-11">against Jeffrey Tambor</a>, the star of one of its most high-profile shows.</p><p>Apple appears to have learned from some of its mistakes, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-hires-sony-execs-jamie-erlich-and-zack-van-amburg-to-lead-video-2017-6">hiring a pair of A-list producers to head up its video effort</a>. But it's hard to see how Apple Music in particular can set itself apart from all the other video services with just a handful of shows. It's going to need to build up a much deeper library and is going to need to develop a blockbuster, must-watch show. Good luck.</p><p>For its part, Hollywood seems glad to take all the "dumb money" flowing in from the tech companies, as a connected source told <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/11/technology/the-frightful-five-want-to-rule-entertainment-they-are-hitting-limits.html">New York Times tech columnist Farhad Manjoo</a> earlier this year. To date, the tech giants, aside from Netflix and Amazon, haven't shown that they know much about how to produce great content besides writing a fat check.</p><p>But the truth is that the tech companies' seemingly bottomless pits of money can't buy hits. You can hire the best talent in the world, but you also have to know how to get people to watch what they produce. And that's something the tech companies don't seem to have figured out yet. So, get ready for another year of flops funded by dumb tech money.</p><h2>China's consumer brands will bomb in the US</h2><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Hollis Johnson/Business Insider</span></p><p class="caption">Huawei is one of the top smartphone brands globally. But it hasn't made a dent in the US.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Apple and Samsung have the US smartphone market locked up. According to comScore's <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/comscore-reports-june-2017-us-smartphone-subscriber-market-share-300498296.html">latest numbers</a>, iPhone owners account for 45% of all US wireless subscribers with a smartphone. Samsung phone owners comprise another 29%. Owners of devices from all other manufacturers barely register.</p><p>Huawei and Xiaomi, China's two smartphone giants whose devices are popular in emerging market countries, aren't daunted by Apple and Samsung's US dominance. Huawei plans to start selling a new smartphone through AT&amp;T in early 2018, <a href="https://www.theinformation.com/huawei-expected-to-gain-u-s-foothold-with-at-t">according to The Information</a>. Meanwhile, Xiaomi is in talks with AT&amp;T and Verizon, <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-12-15/china-s-top-phone-makers-poised-to-challenge-apple-on-home-turf">Bloomberg reported</a>.</p><p>However, if history is any indication, the Chinese companies' US push is doomed. The smartphone market is littered with companies that tried to take on Apple and Samsung here and failed - HTC, Motorola, Essential, ZTE, Google, and so many more.</p><p>The lesson? If you can't offer something unique and offer it through all the major carriers and retailers, you might as well not even try. It's simply too late in the game for another player to come in and give the US more of the same.</p><h2>We'll all start worrying about Amazon's power</h2><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Drew Angerer / Getty Images</span></p><p class="caption">Beware consumer companies: Jeff Bezos and Amazon are coming for you.</p></div><p></p></div></div>Next year will see the Amazonification of even more aspects of our lives beyond just standard online shopping.</p><p>Amazon has plans to expand into <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2017/10/31/what-is-amazon-doing-in-health-and-the-pharmacy-industry.html">pharmaceuticals</a>, <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2017/12/26/amazon-digital-advertising-push-in-2018.html">digital advertising</a>, and shipping, while increasing its presence in physical stores. The company is rapidly transforming itself from a simple digital department store into a commerce colossus that could soon add a Prime layer to practically everything we consume.</p><p>When Amazon has entered new areas in the past, its expansion has often come at the expense of the former leaders of those areas. Grocery chains, for example, <a href="http://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/r-grocery-chain-retailer-shares-tumble-on-amazon-whole-foods-deal-2017-6-1002099871">saw their stocks collapse</a> when Amazon announced it planned to buy Whole Foods. Imagine what's going to happen to drug store chain CVS when Amazon starts selling prescriptions or to Macys if <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/scott-galloway-predicts-amazon-nordstrom-amc-scripps-acquisition-2017-10">Amazon buys a brick-and-mortar department store like Nordstrom</a>.</p><p>With nearly unlimited cash and no viable competitors, Amazon will have unchecked power to topple nearly any consumer industry it wants. By the end of 2018, we'll have to start asking ourselves if it's a good thing that Amazon has its claws in so many aspects of commerce and our lives. I'm going to predict the answer will be "no."</p><h2>The augmented reality bubble will burst</h2><p>Augmented reality (AR), the technology that layers virtual images on top of real ones, has replaced its cousin, virtual reality, as the most overhyped new tech.</p><p>Apple, Google, Facebook, Snapchat, and just about every other major consumer company in the industry have started laying the groundwork for turning AR devices and experiences into the next big thing after smartphones and smartphone apps. But despite all the buzz, we haven't yet seen anything that really demonstrates AR's alleged potential - unless you want to count Snapchat's dancing hot dog.</p><p>Smartphones, which are the early showcase for AR experiences, turn out to be a terrible medium for the technology. And we've seen little evidence to date that developers can use AR to create anything truly innovative or useful.</p><p>AR technology likely won't catch up to the hype surrounding it until someone invents computerized smart glasses that people will actually want to wear. If the AR headset Magic Leap recently unveiled is any indication, that's a long way off. Really, who would want to strap on a monstrosity like this?</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Magic Leap</span></p><p class="caption">The Magic Leap One AR headset.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Because compelling, consumer-ready AR devices are still years away, the AR hype fueled by Apple, Google, and others will collapse next year. Venture capital investments in AR will dry up, and the bubble will burst. See you again in the 2020s.</p><h2>The artificial intelligence bubble will balloon</h2><p>Artificial intelligence has become the catch-all term for computers using what they know about the world to make decisions about new data. Self-driving cars use AI to navigate. Amazon's Alexa virtual assistant uses it to figure out which brand to get when you tell it to buy you some dish soap. Google uses it to automatically organize your photos into albums based on location and facial recognition.</p><p>AI is the most promising and useful concept in technology we have, even if you don't necessarily see it every day. It's powering the most promising companies and initiatives across all industries, and its importance is only going to grow. Any company that's not thinking about how AI can make their products better will be doomed to fail.</p><p class="tagline"><div id="categorypromo" style="border:1px solid silver; min-height:90px; padding:10px;vertical-align:top;"><a href="http://read.bi/next-smartphone"></a><strong>EXCLUSIVE FREE SLIDE DECK:</strong><br>The Next Smartphone by the BI Intelligence Research Team.<br><strong><a href="http://read.bi/next-smartphone">Get the Slide Deck Now »</a></strong></br></br></div></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/best-phones-ranking-apple-samsung-google-oneplus-essential-2017-10">The best phones of 2017 that you can buy right now</a></h3>        <div>                    </div>    </div>

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