Tech 2026: What to Expect in the New Year

The world is a constant witness to many technological advancements that at times seem to have developed faster than expected. Like the switch from buttons to touchscreens or the creation of artificial intelligence that can answer inquiries in real time, it’s easy to expect more unimaginable developments.

Considering how new innovations in technology occur every year, 2026 will certainly be no different. Here are some of the developments we can look forward to in the coming year.

Smartphones and A.I

Given the fast evolution of artificial intelligence and its growing integration in many technologies, today’s A.I. may become less dependent on internet connectivity to function.

With simpler tasks like face recognition, on-the-spot translation, photo editing, and personal voice assistance, these tools may achieve easier accessibility by integrating A.I. into the smartphone itself rather than mainly being used through the internet.

More A.I. Content

Taking the recent holiday commercial from Coca-Cola for example, 2026 might find itself with many more A.I.-generated media like ads, music, and other forms of content.

Artificial intelligence is quickly learning how to generate high-quality videos, images, and sounds that are even beginning to look manmade. With such fast-growing development, this tool may be favored by a number of brands, especially with the lower cost this form of advertising can offer.

Foldable Phones

The modern-day foldable phone has been around for a while now, but its non-foldable counterpart is still preferred by the masses.

One problem that prevents people from purchasing this product is that its foldable feature can cause overtime damage to the screen. But with growing technological developments, more phone manufacturers may be able to create this product in its fully functional form.

Given the convenience this device can bring due to its size, a foldable Apple phone may even be a product of the near future.

Smarter Cars

Despite the ever-growing advancements that car technology has seen, many struggles and inconveniences still bring annoyances to drivers around the world: the tediousness of parking, avoiding obstacles on the road and in parking lots, and having to drive while exhausted.

Today’s modernity is still a long way from achieving perfectly safe and convenient technology for vehicles. But as manufacturers work toward fast progression, 2026 may be the year when fast-evolving A.I. technology can reach a level of assistance that guides drivers through these aforementioned difficulties.

Contactless Charging

In recent years, technology has advanced enough to achieve wireless charging. Despite this technological breakthrough, this development has only gone as far as no longer needing a wire but still requiring contact between the two devices. Recently, Japan has developed a new means for wireless power transfer that charges devices through the air.

With charging pads, these cannot read whether a battery requires more or less power, therefore causing overheating or damage through uneven distribution of charging. Compared to this, Japan’s technology utilizes a learning system that understands the precise amount of power required by a device. Using this, wireless charging can be achieved safely through a stable distribution of energy.

While this exciting technology is a new development and may not yet be on the market in the coming year, progress is fast, and the world may hear more about it moving forward.