The progress bar for 2023 is now 97%Which means it’s almost time to upload another file. But while we can be pretty sure that 2024 will bring new adventures in AI and mixed reality, what sleeper tech successes and stories emerge from the left field of our tech lives this year?
The TechRadar team has been pondering this very question, and below are our boldest tech predictions for 2024. We won’t highlight the obvious tech headlines here — the first two months of the year will clearly be dominated by CES 2024, and the Samsung Galaxy S24 (probably mid-January). And the arrival of the long-awaited Apple Vision Pro, which should hit shelves in February.
But then again, maybe not? After all, in 2023, we didn’t expect Apple to bow to pressure and announce support for RCS messaging from Android phones. Or allowing its Apple Watch patent disputes to go so far as to force it to withdraw its two largest models from sale.
So, what are some of the possible, but less likely, technological breakthroughs and stories that could happen in 2024? Here’s a glimpse at just how weird and interesting things can get…
1. Solid-state amplifiers will shake the headphone world
Some major innovations could shake up the world of headphones in 2024. You may have already heard about Qualcomm’s audio chipset that will separate true lossless music from wires, or the somewhat unknown brand HED Unity unveiling its first headphones The Wi-Fi head of the world is lossless, but I think there’s a bigger breakthrough that hasn’t gotten as much attention. It’s about the little speakers inside your headphones that emit sound waves.
These motors are called drivers and have not changed much since they were first invented. The most common type of headphone driver today still uses a cone-shaped metal coil and magnets to force air through the diaphragm, but there’s a company that has completely reimagined that. Called xMEMS Labs, it has been working for more than four years on an all-silicon solid-state speaker driver that has finally appeared in the latest generation of a prototype that will debut at CES 2024 in January, with plans to roll out the technology on A broader scope late next year.
Manufacturers like Creative Labs and Singularity Industries have been quick to add these solid-state drives to their headphones — not only because they promise increased sound quality but also because they use less material and are virtually indestructible. More are scheduled for release in 2024. If I’m right, you’ll be hearing a lot more about solid-state headphones in the near future.
2. MicroLED 4K TVs will finally succeed
I don’t expect many big shifts in the world of TVs this year, so the thing that might surprise me a lot, but is within the realm of possibility, is that microLED TVs will finally become something the mainstream cares about. I expect they will still be much more expensive than OLED or Mini-LED, but if they could at least come in relatively normal TV sizes (instead of 100+ inches) that would be a good start. Most importantly, it would be helpful if they could finally appear in stores where people can see what they can do. This might finally lead to them emerging as something that people in general will be interested in, not just TV nerds like me.
If you’re not familiar with them, microLED TVs are similar to OLED TVs, in that each pixel emits its own light, so they have “perfect” contrast. But they can get brighter than OLED TVs, and even brighter than Mini-LED TVs. They are the future of televisions. Who knows, maybe the future will start getting right in 2024.
3. DJI will finally disable mirrorless cameras
DJI has had an amazing 2023, launching a number of amazing drones including the triple camera DJI Mavic 3 Pro, as well as our new favorite vlogging camera, the DJI Osmo Pocket 3, and a great GoPro alternative in the form of the DJI Osmo Action 4. That said, it’s a long-standing player in those areas, and we think DJI can do something even more exciting in 2024; Disrupting the mirrorless camera market.
DJI already has the basic components to create a unique mirrorless camera, having patented a camera very similar to the Hasselblad Full-frame portable that can shoot 8K video?
In theory, yes, and if this camera also featured best-in-class image stabilization, ample internal storage and an interchangeable lens mount, the likes of Sony and Canon would be hit hard by the shockwave.
4. The material will actually live up to its smart home potential
It might not seem outlandish to suggest that the world’s new smart home standard, Matter, will start making a tangible difference in our lives in 2024. But unfortunately, Matter didn’t deliver on its promises in 2023 — and it’s not yet clear whether next year will. Different.
The idea behind Matter, which launched at the end of 2022, was that it would solve all our problems using smart home technology. These include proprietary hubs, competing applications, and lack of interoperability between systems. So far, it hasn’t really done that, which isn’t exactly impressive, considering it has official support from all the big players, including Google, Amazon, Apple, Samsung, Philips Hue, and more.
There is a possibility that matter will remain insignificant, and that its diminishing momentum will cease. But there are also reasons for optimism — last year, Material-compatible devices dominated CES 2023, and as we head quickly toward CES 2024, the standard is certainly poised to motivate many of the smart home players who will be taking part in the world’s largest tech show. At least, that’s what we hope, for the safety of our smart home.
5. Samsung will launch an AR/VR headset that runs Quest software
In 2024, I think we’ll finally see the Samsung Apple Vision Pro competitor in all its glory. A full release may be out of the question but at least we’ll get an announcement like the Vision Pro’s at WWDC 2023.
When it does go on sale, I expect we’ll see a high-end headset that falls between the Vision Pro and Meta Quest Pro in terms of price and performance. Given Samsung’s experience in this area, the stunning displays are more likely to be powered by a Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 or an entirely new chip (perhaps the XR2+ Gen 2) from Qualcomm.
But to take that prediction to the “bold” level: a version of the Meta’s Quest platformer will be running. The Meta’s VR OS is the best in terms of its software catalog, features, and design, and a Samsung headset that uses this platform will likely be much better than one that doesn’t. While this OS remains exclusive which gives Meta devices a huge advantage, it is a tool they can license to other brands to help the Reality Labs division generate some much-needed revenue.
6. Voice assistants will be reborn, but they won’t be smarter
Remember voice assistants? Alexa and Siri were the original AI hype stories back in the day, but now they’ve largely been relegated to cooking timer duty. Well, we can certainly expect that to change in 2024 – if the rumors are true, Apple is preparing to reinvent Siri with AI-powered skills in time for WWDC 2024 and Amazon has already previewed Alexa AI.
But we expect that despite some nice improvements and better conversational skills, these “new” voice assistants won’t actually be any more useful than today’s incarnations. One of the main reasons for this is that the smartphone trend seems to be relying on on-device AI, which is great for privacy, but is also a performance bottleneck due to memory and processing limitations.
Considering how impressive ChatGPT’s (free) voice capabilities already are, and how much money Google, Samsung, and Apple are spending on LLMs (Large Language Models), it seems likely that breakthroughs in this area will be made in 2024. But here we’re making a technology prediction Bold, so we’re sticking with our hunch — it’s going to be a year full of big voice assistant hype, but very few real-world improvements.
7. Deepfakes will derail the US election
With AI technology on the rapid rise — and increasing accessibility for everyday users — throughout 2023, it’s not really alarming at this point to say that deepfakes now pose a serious threat to election integrity in the United States and beyond.
It’s now easier than ever to manufacture fake images (photos, videos and audio recordings of real people) thanks to powerful machine learning tools, and it’s very likely that we’ll see a flood of manufactured videos and audio recordings featuring key politicians. and other public figures during the run-up to the 2024 elections.
This type of misinformation is nothing new, as bad actors often try to confuse and deceive voters whenever elections are held almost anywhere in the world. But with the amazing capabilities of emerging AI tools, it will be more difficult than ever to distinguish the real from the fake. We encourage you to fact-check anything you see or hear a politician say, and to try to ensure you only get your election news from official channels – lest you fall victim to the latest digital scam.
Finally, very bold technological predictions for 2024..
8. A digital double will be elected to Congress in the United States
2024 will be the year of AI characters and digital doubles. Forget the deepfakes that put your face on someone else’s real body. Digi-double will be complete digital versions of you – or the desire you have for who you are could He is. However, it’s not just about looking weird. Digital dual engagement will benefit from powerful AI that will understand not only how real people talk and move, but also how you move, act and speak.
At some point, someone will make a digital dyad that mixes the best (or worst) of a few different people, and that AI character, let’s call him Clyde Smoresley, will run for Congress in some rural upstate New York district. . Smoresly will appear on screen at TV interviews, debates and even some campaign events where he will be unexpectedly detained due to inclement weather, and he hopes everyone will feel comfortable just having him on screen.
Clyde Smoresley will be smart, articulate, and charismatic. He will be sent to office where he will achieve a 100% attendance and voting rate.
