Ericsson survey lists top 10 consumer trends for 2018

03rd January 2018
Ericsson survey lists top 10 consumer trends for 2018

 Many  global  concerns and trends worldwide are mirrored in India too -- with a local touch.
January 3 2018: For the 7th year,  telecom major, Ericsson has conducted a survey  of  internet users in 10 cities across the world, representing  30 million citizens performed  to arrive at insights on  the "10 Hot Consumer Trends for 2018".  This  vision of a not-too-distant future shows  a shift in how consumers expect to interact with technology.  Every new device with a screen -- like a mobile phone -- adds new user interface variations, which are then multiplied by the number of apps within each   With  more connections, come more complexity. Consumers  are faced with the prospect of learning and relearning how to use devices  and may be close to  a  breaking point.
Today, you have to know all the intricacies of the devices you use.  Tomorrow,  the devices will have  to know you. What does this mean? The report asks you   to imagine you have just arrived home from work. You wave your hand, and the lamp turns on, flashing the light in greeting. The home speaker begins to play music, but when you give it an exasperated look, it turns off. You make a coffee, but grimace because it’s too bitter. The coffee machine immediately offers to add sugar or milk. 
The route to this brave new world lies  via some key developments. The Ericsson Consumer Lab lists the 10 trends for 2018  filtered through the perceptions of those who took part in their survey:

  1. Your Body is the User Interface: We will use body language, expression, intonation and touch to interact with tech devices as if they were fellow humans.  This may happen within a mere 3 years.
  2. Augmented Hearing:  Two in three  consumers would like earphones that translate languages in real time ( and half would want to block out a family member’s snoring).
  3. Eternal Newbies: New technology makes it hard to keep their skills up to date --but it also makes us instant experts. The internet allows us  to learn and forget skills faster than ever.
  4. Social Broadcasting: Social media is being overrun by traditional broadcasters. Consumers  feel Artificial Intelligence would be useful to check facts posted on social networks.
  5. Intelligent Ads: Advertisements may become too smart for their own good. More than half of augmented reality (AR)/virtual reality (VR) users think ads will become so realistic they will eventually replace the products themselves.
  6. Uncanny Communication: Not being able to tell the difference between human and machine would  spook many of us... as would a smartphone that reacts to our mood.
  7. Leisure Society:  In an age of  developing robotics, one in three students and working people do not think they need a job to develop a meaningful life! 40 percent say they would like a robot that works and earns income for them, freeing up leisure time.
  8. Your Photo is a Room: Imagine being able to walk into a photo and relive a memory. In only 5 years  we may be able to  use virtual reality to walk around in smartphone photos.
  9. Streets in the Air: City streets may be choked with traffic but the skies remain free. Many worldwide  think their city needs a road network for drones and flying vehicles.
  10. The Charged Future: The connected world will require mobile power. More than 80 percent believe that in only 5 years we will have long-lasting batteries that will put an end to charging concerns.