The digital industry is constantly changing and evolving, and in 2021, the second year afflicted by the COVID-19 epidemic, the new normal began to take shape. As a result, new features and upgrades to smartphones, wearables, and even televisions became commonplace.
NFC on phones and decent cameras on laptops were more vital than ever, and tech areas that would have been overlooked in the pre-COVID world became deal-breakers. Here are some of the top COVID-related product trends we saw in 2021.
Cameras and picture quality
For more than a decade, camera quality on phones has been a significant problem, but cameras on laptops and tablets have gotten by as long as they took care of the fundamentals. Zoom, Google Meet, and Teams became the new way of conducting meetings for a major portion of the global workforce in 2020, and this trend continued in 2021.
Laptops became business computers, while tablets became mobile classrooms for children who wanted to learn from the comfort of their own homes. This meant that basic cameras were no longer sufficient. We started seeing far better cameras on tablets with larger sensors that could take in more light, allowing us to make video calls at night or in low light (without excessive grains, that is).
Faster Wi-Fi, more data
Many people became accustomed to working from home in 2020, and the backbone of remote workplaces was reliable Wi-Fi and cellular data connectivity. Telecom operators began offering larger data plans in 2021, along with new incentives such as bundled O TT subscriptions. Customers began to demand data rollover, and work-from-home data booster plans remained available.
With more people inside the house, TVs, tablets, cellphones, and even consoles all connected to the same Wi-Fi network, interest in mesh Wi-Fi networks began to grow, allowing for a more dependable networking experience for larger apartments and bungalows.
Audio products and wearables
As individuals worked and socialized remotely, good headphones, microphones, TWS earbuds, and even sound cards remained popular purchases. With the rise in audio competition, technologies such as ANC (Active Noise Cancellation) have become much more democratized, and what was previously a luxury feature can now be found on earbuds around Rs 10,000.
It was an in-built mechanism for earphones like the LG Tone Free to cleanse the product when not in use. When it came to wearables, we observed certain fitness bands that now included temperature scanning, although functions like heart-rate tracking and blood oxygen monitoring (SpO2) remained characteristics that most brands were introducing across the board, regardless of price.
UPI Payments, NFC and payment-oriented tech
One of the memories I'll take with me to the post-COVID era is walking into a store, paying for a bag of chips with Payer, and hearing a robotic voice tell the merchant (and everyone else) that someone just paid Rs 20. Customers and businesses began standardizing digital transactions in 2020, as payments went digital as well.
This trend continued in 2021, with products like the Payer Sound box receiving updates such as the Sound box 2.0, which included SIM compatibility, multi-language support, and a screen. Payer Smart POS, on the other hand, enables smartphones to be converted into credit/debit card payment terminals.
Gaming and streaming services
Since 2020, gaming has grown in popularity, and in 2021, it remained one of the most popular kinds of at-home entertainment for many. A few of daily rounds of PUBG Mobile or other multiplayer games like Among Us become the newer method to socialize for many of their peers.
As a result, additional phones, like as the P OCO F3 GT with gaming triggers, become gaming-oriented. Many businesses also launched gaming-related accessories, such as the REAL ME Triggers or the OnePlus Triggers, as well as a variety of other audio attachments.
Even after widespread immunizations, the pandemic will continue through 2022, as the new Omicron form of the virus now poses a severe threat. In 2022, our reliance on technology will only increase, and technical advancements will hopefully continue into the new year.
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