ANOVO UK sales and account director Ron Harckham tells Mobile News his thoughts on what might happen this year, including the growth of smart home devices and the prevalence of artificial intelligence
Smart watches have not hit the expected heights or sales volumes and 2017 could be make or break. Generation two and three devices now being launched are considerably better and this should increase sales throughout 2017 but it remains to be seen if these are really considered must have tech by consumers.
One area that should see growth and have a positive impact on the market is the smart home; more and more home devices are now able to be controlled from your smartphone including lighting, security and heating. The marketplace is becoming clearer now and would be a natural market for networks to progress into as it will potentially make the smartphone even more important in our lives!
Finally artificial intelligence or virtual assistants are going to become more prevalent on our smartphones and other devices during 2017. This open ups a whole new way in which to communicate with each other, our homes and gather all manner of information.
In short, I believe that 2017 will be the year that cements the smartphone as the must have gadget for everyone for now and the foreseeable future.