Technology 4 min read

The Top 5 Mobile Trends to Look Forward to in 2020

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sitthiphong / Shutterstock.com

With the coming year approaches, loads of mobile trends are set to dominate. Along with 5G and foldable devices going mainstream, we can expect an increase in smartphone sales, among others.

Think of 2019 as the year of experiments for mobile.

Various manufacturers wanted to break the monotonous design that’s essentially a flat slab of glass. So, they explored new designs and functionalities to make their devices stand out in a highly competitive market.

For example, LG introduced a vein recognition technology in its G8 ThinQ. Then, there was the Energizer, a phone that offers as much as 50 days stand by time. We also got the Nubia Alpha – a watch that thinks it’s a phone.

Perhaps the most significant mobile trend of all was the introduction of foldable devices.

Following a disastrous pre-launch, Samsung finally released its Galaxy Fold in September. Before then, Huawei launched its Mate X, and Lenovo teased the world’s first folding laptop.

Talks of the next generation of mobile networks also went around the Internet with 5G dominating a large part of the year. However, only a few people got to use it.

Due to limited device and network support, most of the world hasn’t experienced the fabled 20Gb/s download speed of 5G.

The coming year could change all that. Here’s why.

5 Top Mobile Trends to Expect in 2020

Here are some of the top mobile trends to look forward to in the coming year.

1. 5G

5G got up to a gradual start in 2019. For example, China began a nationwide rollout of the mobile network back in October.

But, 2020 may be the coming-out party for the high-speed mobile network.

With major carrier networks like Verizon pledging to bring 5G access to the United States population, smartphone vendors are also working on 5G-capable devices.

Samsung already launched 5G models ahead of the carrier development, and current rumors suggest 2020 iPhones that support 5G. As carriers deployment of increases, 5G will become more prevalent in 2020.

The global 5G market is projected to have a revenue of $672 billion by the end of 2020. Similarly, a recent forecast from Statista stated that 5G subscriptions would reach 2.61 billion by 2025.

2. Mobile Wallets and Payment Gateways

The growing adoption of mobile wallets and payment gateways is one mobile trend you may have missed this year. Driven by the increased universal presence of smartphones, the adoption of mobile wallets has been growing steadily.

Over 36 percent of iPhone users have set up an Apple Pay account since the tech company introduced it in 2014.

Now, it’s one of the most popular payment systems, with over 87 million people using the app worldwide. Likewise, Chinese companies WeChat Pay and AliPay have combined users of over 1 billion.

But, the digital wallet’s popularity will soar even higher in the coming year. Reports suggest that the transaction value of mobile payment apps will reach nearly $14 trillion by 2022.

3. Augmented Reality

No longer stuff of sci-fi movies, augmented reality has become part of our lives.

From entertaining games to useful tools, mobile apps are starting to implement AR in various ways. What’s more, big tech companies like Apple, Facebook, and Google are investing in the technology.

So, it’s not surprising that AR will become one of the biggest mobile trends in 2020.

According to a recent forecast, augmented reality users would reach 1 billion by 2020. Similarly, the current market size of AR/VR will increase from $16.8 billion in 2019 to $160 billion by 2023.

4. Foldable Devices

In 2018, Samsung ignited the foldable device race when it teased the Galaxy Fold. Since then, Huawei and Motorola have released their version of folding displays on Android.

While the first generation of these devices is far from perfect, the form factor could become a standard in 2020.

In the coming year, we can expect to see devices like Microsoft Surface Duo, a folding Android device with dual display. Also, Samsung is set to release a second-generation Galaxy Fold, and Apple is reportedly working on its folding iPhone.

5. Growth in Smartphone Sales

Recently, the smartphone market has hit a slump. Between the stalled design and the increased durability, users no longer feel compelled to change their smartphones.

However, smartphone sales are set to grow by 2.8 percent worldwide in the coming year. And this is partly due to the arrival of 5G.

For example, Apple’s iPhones have experienced a steady decline in recent times. However, the 2020 5G iPhones will give users a new reason to upgrade.

As the coverage and availability of 5G hardware services improve, so will the sales of smartphones.

Read More: Notebook Vs Tablet Vs Laptop: What’s The Best Mobile PC?

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Sumbo Bello

Sumbo Bello is a creative writer who enjoys creating data-driven content for news sites. In his spare time, he plays basketball and listens to Coldplay.

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