One thing that’s constant in the continuously-evolving world of technology is change. Almost without exception, such change inevitably applies to tech products that once seemed crucial to maintaining our current standards of living. Like the dial-up modems, VCRs, and floppy disks before them, here are today’s cherished devices that are likely next in line for obsolescence.
LCD TVs
Image source: gadgetreview.com.
A little longer than a decade ago, liquid crystal display (LCD) televisions took the world by storm, thanks to their sleek profiles and energy efficiency. While LCD TVs have improved since then, becoming thinner, brighter, and cheaper, manufacturers such as LG are now ramping up their production capacities for a superior technology: organic light-emitting diode (OLED) TVs.
OLEDs emit their own light and don’t require a backlight, so they boast an even greater energy efficiency and picture quality than LCD TVs. They can also be made paper-thin, semi-transparent, and flexible. This past January at CES, LG confirmed its new W-series TV (the “W” stands for “wallpaper”) is one-tenth of an inch thick, mounts to your wall with magnetic brackets, and will be available in stores this year.
LEDs
Image source: Cap Electric.
Although traditional LED light bulbs are becoming more affordable compared to their fluorescent counterparts, it appears that the lighting industry could be further disrupted as OLED lighting becomes more common.
While LEDs are a directional light source, OLEDs are cool to the touch while also distributing even light that’s energy efficient. Similar to OLED TVs, OLED lights can be made in a variety of thin and curved forms.
Wired chargers
Image source: Wired.
Some tech giants such as Samsung have already incorporated wireless induction charging into their latest smartphones. You simply set the phone down on a pad and let it charge — no plugs or adapters are required. It wouldn’t be surprising to assume that other manufacturers would follow suit as consumers become accustomed to the relative convenience of wireless charging in the upcoming years.
Remote controls
Image source: Wired.
Having been the staple of living room entertainment, the days of dedicated remote controls are spiraling to an end, thanks to voice-operated devices that can accomplish the same tasks and more.
For example, you can ask a Kinect sensor plugged into a system such as an Xbox One to adjust your TV’s volume, change the channel, or completely turn itself off. There’s also Amazon’s Echo, the voice-controlled, cloud-based service, which was one of the top-selling devices of 2016. It’s capable of doing everything from ordering a pizza to playing music to calling a ride from Uber and even buying items from amazon.com.
Media-streaming devices
Image source: Digital Trends.
We all know how useful media-streaming devices such as Chromecast, Roku, Fire TV, and Apple TV can be. According to HIS, more than half of all TV sets shipped globally last year were smart TVs, and that number will continue to grow in the future. As it does, dedicated media-streaming devices shipped will likely decrease.
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