As we continue to wax nostalgic -- or something like it -- on 2018 and look ahead to the next year, we wanted to get a sense of how users feel about the past, present, and future of tech.
We've covered our top news stories of 2018, and looked back on which predicted tech trends for this year seemed to flourish the most. Now, we want to know what users think of the tech road ahead, and which trends show the most promise.
So, we surveyed over 2,400 people across the U.S., UK, and Canada, asking them about three key things:
- Which tech trends they understand the most
- Which tech trends they think will be the most successful or popular in 2019
- Which tech trends they're most excited to experience next year
Here's where users weigh in on 2019 tech trends.
Understanding Tech Trends
First, we wanted to know which tech trends users understand the most. We asked:& Which of the following technology trends could you confidently explain or define? (Select all that apply.)
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Out of the 16 options we listed, there were five top tech trends that about a third of users indicated they would feel comfortable explaining or defining.
Out of those five, the category of smart home topped the list. While this could include smart speakers -- which ranked #4 on the list -- the former outperformed the latter in terms of user understanding.
Smart home expands beyond just speakers, however, and also includes things like appliances and other home devices, like refrigerators, that use artificial intelligence to complete such tasks as letting you know if you're out of a certain food item.
As for the relatively high awareness of smart speakers, that could be explained the launch of a few high-profile smart speakers this year, including the Google Home Hub and Facebook Portal -- both of which have been advertised during primetime television and sometimes featured celebrities.