Smartphones are front and center people’s minds as they consider the future of technology, according to future of communications technology market research conducted by Intel and research firm PSB.
The “Next 50” study, which surveyed 1,000 respondents. found that 87% of consumers expect to rely most on smartphones, among several other technologies, fifty years from now. The runner up is PCs, which 84% of respondents think will be the most indispensable in 2068.
Future of Communications Technology Market Research
The trends of the future are evident today. In just a few decades, smartphones have become indispensable – and there is nothing to suggest that that reliance will change or even slow down. “It’s hard to fathom going a day without using a computer or a smartphone, both of which will undoubtedly continue to evolve along with other technologies,” Genevieve Bell, vice president and senior fellow at Intel Bell, said in a press release. “But newer, emerging technologies like AI and 5G are abstract, and harder to grasp, likely leading to anxiety around what they may bring.”
The survey found that 61% of consumers are somewhat or very excited about the potential of 5G communications. Not surprisingly, the excitement was especially evident among millennials. The survey found that 45% of respondents in this group say that 5G will bring people closer together by helping them to always be connected to each other. Thirty-five percent of people in the 35 and older age group thought this is true.
The areas that people are most excited about as they look ahead 50 years are health (including genomic medicine, at 39%), renewable energy (36%) and artificial materials for organ or tissue transplants (26%). Smartphones and the other technologies considered by respondents – which include artificial intelligence and smart home technologies in addition to smartphones and PCs – will be vital in the process of making these technologies fulfill their promise.