Meta: Looking past the horrendous outbreak of the Coronavirus, the last year is still capable of surprising us with new technology 2021. Click now to see for yourself!
Intro
2021 was a year full of ups and downs for all of us. The rapid spread of Covid has heavily affected our daily lives, curbing the growth of various industries and businesses.
However, amid the chaos that this pandemic caused, there are still highlights to catch your eyes when you look back at this period, which is new technology 2021. While the pandemic widened the physical distance between people by locking them down, the growing modern technology has tried its best to connect us via smart devices.
Keep reading our article to know all the remarkable things on this topic!
New Technology 2021- 10 Ideas
5G Implementation
This is amazing news to smartphone users in 2021- the capabilities to connect 5G. So, what is so special about 5G that is worth the hype?
First, it is a significantly faster speed. When 4G was presented, the speed it delivered was big progress from its predecessor, 3G. Likewise, the arrival of 5G granted us incredible data transmitting speed compared to 4G. With this new cellular network, you’ll be able to download a movie in just a few seconds.
Image Source: Pixabay
5G also allows more devices to connect to it at the same time. This means more users will gain access to 5G and exchange information, which will benefit our economic and industrial plants.
Another advantage of this new network is its low latency. In other words, the time from when we make a command to when the device carries it out will be shorter. This feature will help remote transport and operations occur more smoothly with quicker order and response.
All of those amazing benefits above are finally accessible to mobile phones in 2021. Specifically, Samsung Galaxy S20, S21 Ultra, and the Apple iPhone 12 were presented with 5G capability. People with limited budgets can still enjoy this technology as the implementation is available in cheaper phone models.
The Return Of Foldable Smartphones
First appearing in the 2000s, foldable phones had once received many people’s fondness. Now, after two decades, we can experience this unique design again, thanks to big names in the industry like Samsung and Oppo. Samsung has released its Samsung Galaxy Z Fold with a high-quality bendable screen.
Image Source: Trusted Reviews
These giants have used their way to breathe fashion and modernity into this retro appearance. The first advantage to attracting customers is that this design offers a much bigger screen while the footprint stays the same. You can entertain yourself with a wider screen and enjoy its compact size by folding the phone in half.
Larger sizes often come with larger batteries. Thus, foldable mobile phones usually have more space for storage and more power.
Bendable products impress users with their innovative feature, which is the ability to multitask. You can run two different applications on the two halves of the screen.
To maintain the screen’s good state through numerous bends, manufacturers produce these products with more durable materials than conventional ones. These new models are more resistant to shock and harder to break. Thus spending money on foldable smartphones is a good bet on high-end brands and better durability.
Under-Display Front Camera
Normally, the main cameras in phones are often placed on their back with some wide-angle or optical-zoom lenses surrounding them. The front cameras can be found at the top of the screen and occupy a small space.
Nowadays, there are models where this issue is solved. The idea of under-display cameras started when Oppo came up with the prototype a few years ago. In 2021, after this trend has gone through many changes to be more user-friendly and affordable, we are able to be on the receiving end of it.
When this feature first appeared, there were still many problems which led to many negative feedbacks. The image quality the camera produced was bad, and the screen area on top of it looked distracting. Fortunately, the manufacturers learned from their mistakes and delivered us a better camera in return. The improvements are noticeable in Xiaomi’s Mix 4 and ZTE’s Axon 30, where the front camera produces high-resolution photos and the screen cover blends in perfectly.
Samsung and other major brands also enter the game to apply this advanced technology to their products. Mobile phones now come in with under-display camera options, offering customers a larger, more eye-catching screen.
Superfast Frame Rate
Frame rate refers to the frequency at which the camera captures consecutive images. In reality, it is often known as fps to indicate the number of frames your device records in one second.
Frame rate is a deciding factor in the quality of the video. For example, if your aim is a record of the actual world, go for 24 fps. It will create a realistic look that suits the normal pace of life.
However, should some sports events or intense activities be what you want, a higher frame rate would be ideal. It can capture every single event movement into the video, enabling you to live the moment again every time rewatching it.
That’s where this technology comes into play. At the beginning of 2021, Sony presented its Sony A1 with the 30 fps burst shooting function. It empowers the devices to record natural eruptions or sports activities excellently.
Image Source: Wikimedia commons
Later in the same year, Nikon Z9 from Nikon defeated Sony A1 with a frame rate of 120 fps. Thanks to this feature, Nikon Z9 can produce high-quality slow-motion video and effortlessly tackle shooting and fighting scenes.
Eye Control Autofocus
Eye control AF is another breakthrough in terms of new technology 2021. Like an under-display camera, this technology was first introduced several years ago without many positive reactions from the user community. This year, it has made a successful comeback and is ready to enter the mass market.
Eye control autofocus technology enables the camera to follow your glance and focus the lens on the thing you’re looking at.
When this technology first featured in Canon EOS Elan 7 back in the day, there were just seven autofocus points. This could be insufficient in many situations and sometimes make the lens focus on the wrong thing. Thus, in Elan 7, this feature is of little use, which causes users to manually focus the camera and lose interest in this new tech.
Once again appearing in Canon EOS R3, this function is stepping up. It offers more focus points and allows more eye shapes. The manufacturers also design it to work with glasses better.
However, there are some things you need to keep in mind when it comes to using this technology. It won’t work with sunglasses and glasses with coatings like UV or IR blocking ones.
Also, the performance of eye control autofocus will be affected once there is a severe lack of light. After a long period of staring at the screen to control the new tech will leave a strain on your eye, which is inevitable. Thus, remember to spend a reasonable amount of time with your favorite device and let your eyes relax.
Cinematic Video With Smartphones
Cinematic video with professional cameras is already the norm. With the advanced technology in 2021, we can produce this type of video with our smartphones. This new headway was made by Apple with their iPhone 13. Cinematic video mode is considered the most-awaited feature in these prototypes.
Image Source: Max Pixel
The cinematic video resembles the professional movies in the theater in terms of quality motion pictures such as sound, visual effects, choreography, and lighting.
To produce high-definition videos like this, there are some tricky requirements for smartphone users. As mentioned above, the ideal frame rate for recording the actual world is 24 fps. A good video is made of high-resolution images; thus, your phone needs the ability to produce good visual quality.
Another demand to achieve this goal is stabilization. The professional camera has a certain weight to avoid shaking, unlike smartphones, which are very prone to loss of stabilization.
With iPhone 13, this process wouldn’t be that much of a hassle. The device tracks many focus points on your subject, letting you freely record plants, animals, and people. The product comes with an ultrawide lens to precisely observe the subject’s movements and flexibly shift focus.
After starting your mobile phone, open your camera and simply switch to Cinematic mode, and an excellent video will be ready with a few simple gestures.
Special Audio Functions In Earphones
The innovative functions of true wireless stereo earbuds are drawing more and more people’s attention. The most noticeable ones are spatial audio and 360-degree surround sound.
Apple has embedded spatial audio technology in the Airpod Pro headset. This tech creates the immersive sound by using audio filters and fine-tuning the sound frequency reaching our ears. As a result, while having the device on, we’ll hear as if the music is coming from different directions in space.
Another special thing about spatial audio is that the points emitting the sounds stay the same even if the device is moving. The only condition for you to experience this modern feature is that you need to have the right equipment integrated with this technology, such as the Airpod Pros and Airpod Max.
360-degree surround sound is an audio technology launched by Sony. Likewise, 360 Reality Sound tech also surrounds users with music placed on a 360 sphere, creating an excellent and life-like experience.
Smart Noise Reduction In Earphones
Have you ever gotten irritated at the outside noise when listening to music? With modern true wireless stereo earbuds, this won’t ever happen to you again.
When it comes to noise reduction, people often think of headphones. These devices have good earmuffs, which can effectively isolate passive ambient sound. These earmuffs also leave sufficient space for brilliant active noise cancellation. Thus, noise reduction was first applied to headphones.
Thanks to the rapid development of technology, this feature has finally appeared on earphones. When the Airpod Pro was released in the market, smart noise reduction quickly made it popular in the mainstream.
Ease Of Charging For Earphones
Battery life is one of the major factors that place the true wireless stereo earbuds in the spotlight in today’s article. A powerful battery will enable users to enjoy the device without the fear of running out of battery. This is also why Bluetooth headsets can’t step into the mainstream. Simply, it just lasts too short for people’s liking.
Then the Airpods arrive and overtake Bluetooth headsets with their excellent batteries. These batteries provide users with ease of charging. First, it’s the charging time. With the fast charging feature, your earphones can replenish the power in several minutes. This can contribute to solving the problem of short battery life as users don’t need to wait long before they can continue to enjoy the sound.
Image Source: Trusted Reviews
TWS earphones also introduce wireless charging technology. When you are not using the device, put it on the charging board, and it will be ready for the next use. This feature shines when there is no electric socket available.
Plus, the charging board comes in a compact size, functioning like a box to keep your small earphones intact simultaneously.
Various Interaction Methods With Earphones
When it comes to interacting with earphones, many people would think of physical buttons on the surface of the device. In 2021, there were some novel advances in this field that might blow your mind.
An intelligent voice assistant is a way to utilize your devices. With our current TWS earphones, these functions can only be carried out through the connected device. In other words, you need to connect your earphones with another device, then speak and let the device’s voice assistant control the earbuds.
A step more innovative is gesture control. This feature is often seen in smartphones and smart screens. When applying the technology to earbuds, the interaction requires sensors and algorithms to make out what your order is.
Conclusion
Hardly a day goes by without the arrival of new technology, and one might be surprised at the versatility and amazing functions of these inventions. Thus, using technology is always a fast and interesting way to facilitate people’s lives.
New technology 2021 has proven this point: it has successfully blurred the distance between us, adding more diversity to make our day more exciting and memorable. Stay tuned and see what this powerful industry will grant us in the future.