Technology from 2017 That Will Shape 2018

As the new year comes closer, the technological advancements in 2017 will have a direct impact on what we should expect in 2018. We put together some predictions for the world of smartphones that will most probably become a regular feature. Some of these advancements include better security features while some include radical changes that couldn't be possible this year. Keep reading to find out what we think 2018 is going to be like for smartphones and how things will progress. Folding Phones (c) Twitter There are already numerous rumours that suggest foldable smartphones are going to be a real thing in 2018. Samsung has already developed a smartphone that might launch in 2018. It is said to have two displays that will be connected to each other with a hinge. This will enable the device to transform itself into a tablet which will be great for playing games and watching movies. This also means you can run two separate apps on separate displays while making multi-tasking easier and convenient. Under Display Fingerprint Scanner (c) Qualcomm It is already known that a smartphone will be launched with an under the display fingerprint sensor real soon and we feel it will be the next big thing by 2018. Vivo is already set to launch a smartphone with the new technology and it seems like other smartphone companies will follow suit. This will allow phones such as the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus to sport an even sleeker look, and the iPhone X to retain an alternative to Face ID. The upcoming Samsung Galaxy S9 was rumoured to host the same technology however according to new filings by the South Korean company, it seems unlikely. Faster and Better Mid-Range Smartphones (c) MensXP Premium smartphones are already getting more expensive and it is a clear indication that more customers will opt to buy mid-range smartphones by 2018. Smartphones like the OnePlus 5T already feature full view displays, face unlocking and performance that is at par with flagship devices, The devices can handle day-to-day tasks as easily as premium smartphones. It will get more difficult for Samsung and Apple to justify those high price tags as mid-range smartphones are getting more powerful, fast and efficient. Full View Displays (c) MensXP This was inevitable the moment Xiaomi unveiled the first bezel-less smartphone of the world in 2016. This year we say many manufacturers reduce the bezels to a minimum and increasing the size of their smartphones. This translated to smartphones with bigger screens in a smaller body and sleeker looking devices. It also meant users got a bigger screen for more immersive video-watching and game-playing, and you won't need to scroll as much when reading a news story. We will soon see more and more mid-range devices that will feature a similar form factor and higher quality displays. Samsung has already introduced the same design to the budget-friendly Galaxy A8 and A8+ and we have already started to see it in other budget smartphones such as the Honor 7X and Honour 9i. Augmented Reality (c) Ikea Augmented Reality is already shaping up to be a promising form of technological advancement and will see more smartphones in 2018 that will adopt the new feature. augmented reality works by overlaying things into the world around you through a camera. A range of iPhones already support the feature and we can already expect it to hit many Android smartphones by 2018. Google intrigued us with their version of Augmented Reality on Pixel smartphones and we can see expect it to filter down to every Android smartphone soon. Ikea has recently launched an AR app that lets you preview how furniture, rugs and even paint will look in your home and a few games are already utilising the ARkit on the iPhone to enhance the experience.