It’s that time of year again, folks. Let’s make some wild prognostications about the tech industry and play grim reaper for the devices and tech trends we don’t expect to make it to 2020.
There are plenty of reasons tech becomes obsolete. The tech world operates just like the natural one: weeding out the chaff through cold, unsentimental natural selection. Buying habits, user behavior, societal trends, and the forward march of technological innovation always leave a heap of failed or outdated products, companies, and trends in the dust.
First, let’s take a look at how last year’s predictions turned out:
1. Essential Phone. Ugh. Essential isn’t dead, but it’s on life support. The high-end modular smartphone didn’t sell well, which prompted the company to lay off staff and refocus on a new product in October. Of course, that was before the New York Times investigative report into Google’s handling of sexual harassers, including Android and Essential founder Andy Rubin. And yet, Essential still announced a $ 149 headphone dongle last month. It’s time for Essential and Andy Rubin to go away.
2. Initial Coin Offerings. ICOs haven’t died, but as regulatory agencies like the SEC have cracked down on scams and fraudsters and the crypto market as a whole has taken a nosedive, there are a lot less new, exorbitantly priced ICOs popping up than there were a year ago.
3. Apple iPods. Nope, you can still buy an iPod touch. As for any hope of buying a standalone Apple music player that’s as compact and durable as my beloved iPod nano, we’re all out of luck.
4. Anything Competing With Amazon. Well this one was a bit broad. Amazon has bought its way into everything from grocery stores and entertainment to pharmaceuticals, on top of expanding its dominant e-commerce empire. But the corporate overlord isn’t infallible. Amazon recently shuttered its Amazon Restaurants food delivery service in the UK.
5. Snapchat Spectacles. Somehow…no! Not only did Snap release a version two of Snapchat Spectacles, but there are rumors of a version three.
6. Sony A-Mount. Nope, still kickin’.
7. Pentax. Still alive and well, and releasing new cameras.
8. Prisma. It still exists, but in the eyes of consumers, it’s long since passed into the app heap of history. If you disagree and still use Prisma, feel free to sound off in the comments.
9. Manual Vacuums. Okay, so we didn’t all throw out our vacuums in the past year. But the robovac revolution is coming…
10. Skype for Business /Wunderlist. Yep, these are gone and replaced by Microsoft Teams and Microsoft To-Do, respectively.
11. MoviePass. On death’s doorstep. We’re re-upping our death prediction this year.
12. The Internet. This one was symbolic, okay. The internet is still alive and as terrible a place as ever, but despite an ongoing fight to restore it, net neutrality is most decidedly dead.
Now, to this year’s predictions.