A propeller outlook on the future of the consumer tech ecosystem

No matter where you look, technology is transforming every aspect of the way we live and work. What was once emerging technology is now racing its way to maturity, enabling a new wave of innovation. Curiosity is one of our core principles at propelland. That means we’re thinking about what the future has in store. What better time to take a moment to pause and predict what’s ahead than the start of a new year. We made our way to Vegas to attend CES 2023 and explore the latest in the consumer tech landscape. As always, innovation was front and center, but we caught wind of a few trends that we believe will define the future of consumer tech industry.

Products are giving more control and power to the user through improved sensors and creating a more holistic view of someone’s personal health information. Customers want data that is actionable. Healthcare companies are providing customers with the at-home tools to perform tests and own their initial diagnosis as a first step to comprehensive treatment.

Consumer-facing assistant devices will come together to connect to a larger ecosystem. The integration of smart objects can create a more personalized household that caters to different user preferences. From robotic assistants that deliver objects to different family members to smart refrigerators with cameras that can recognize fridge inventory, these connected household systems highlight the push to create a seamless experience across environments.

All-electric transportation is moving closer to mainstream adoption while pursuing platformization and personalization through smart technology. Platformization will extend control over vehicles to create a seamless experience from your house to your car to your workspace. While EV technology is advancing towards more luxury vehicles like jeeps, eVTOL aircraft, boats, and yachts to enhance energy efficiency, autonomous vehicle concepts are focusing on public transit and the commercial space to better serve people and create more connected cities.

The virtual environment will extend even further and augmented technology will bring the digital and physical worlds even closer. Companies are creating tools like haptic feedback and input gloves to facilitate a more immersive experience. This makes virtual interactions feel more realistic, opening up a range of new applications from immersive entertainment to more viable virtual training. Mobile applications are also implementing AR with greater ease as devices develop advanced capabilities. With enhanced speed and accuracy, AR can benefit different verticals such as industrial health and education.

Foldable and extendable displays have already begun to hit store shelves, but now design is improving their functionality and adding new dimensions to their user experience. Exploration in display technology is giving life to novel features such as high pixel density, 3D displays, and transparent and extendable screens. Advancements in processing, storage, and camera fidelity are also making these next-gen displays more widely accessible.

The overarching trend this year is not any single technology or application, but the overall integration of existing technologies — playing better together — from home appliances and entertainment, to healthcare and assistive products, to transportation.

Connected ecosystems offer greater value than singular products as consumers expect seamless experiences across multiple platforms. Technology integration will be the big win for the coming years, as exemplified by the new platform “Matter” — a multiyear joint effort with industry players, including Apple, Google, and Samsung, to help smart home devices play better together.