iPhone 14, Metaverse, OnePlus 10 Pro and what else to expect in 2022 from the world of tech

The world of technology, like all sectors, was significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic this year. However, as consumers began to adapt to new challenges, so did tech. Both Windows and Mac PCs gained momentum with the advent of new chips, smartphones got even better, software  and apps became even more seamless, and AI got way smarter. But now that we have 2021 slowly passing by in the rear-view mirror, let’s take a look at some of the most anticipated consumer tech coming in 2022.

Metaverse is the new "hot thing" of 2021 in the tech industry. Metaverse, according to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, is a virtual world where people can interact, hold meetings, buy property and do even more. What it means is that instead of interacting with your friends online as is the case now, you can meet in respective digital avatars, using a virtual reality headset or any other device, and get inside any virtual environment, be it an office, café or even a gaming centre. It is not clear yet how exactly it will look. According to Zuckerberg, “Creation, avatars and digital objects will be central to how we express ourselves, and this is going to lead to entirely new experiences and economic opportunities.” Meta is the only one talking about metaverse.

Mesh for Microsoft Teams introduces a new generation of 2D and 3D meetings. It combines the mixed-reality capabilities of Microsoft Mesh, which allows people in different physical locations to join, collaborate and share holographic experiences, with the productivity tools of Microsoft Teams, where people can join virtual meetings, send chats on shared documents and more. Mesh builds on existing Teams features such as Together mode and Presenter mode that make remote and hybrid meetings more collaborative and immersive. The first step most users of Mesh for Teams will take is to join a standard Teams meeting as a customized avatar of themselves instead of a static picture or a video. Organizations can also build immersive spaces – metaverses – within Teams. Mesh for Teams users can take their avatars into these spaces to mix and mingle, collaborate on projects and experience those serendipitous encounters that spark innovation. Mesh for Teams will start rolling out in 2022.

Moving to hardware (or products that we are likely to actually hold in our hands), Apple will launch new iPhone models in 2022. The company is likely to host the iPhone 14 launch event in September. One can expect four new iPhone models with improved hardware and equally good software. Apple is also expected to announce new iPad models, MacBook machines, etc.

More foldable smartphones: Samsung took charge and launched two new foldable smartphones this year. In 2022, we expect the company to refresh the Galaxy Z Fold and Z Flip lineup. It would not be a surprise if more players join the foldable smartphone game and launch affordable devices to take on the likes of Samsung. We can expect Oppo and Xiaomi, if not Realme, Vivo or OnePlus, to launch new foldable smartphones in 2022 in India.

12th Gen Intel CPUs on Laptops: This year, Intel announced new 12th Gen CPUs and next year, they will be making their way to mainstream laptops. Intel’s Alder Lake CPUs are built on Team Blue’s new 10nm process and are touted to bring major improvements in performance and battery life. While AMD has been winning the CPU war in the last couple of years, Intel’s new 12th Gen CPUs pose a major threat to Team Red’s success. However, AMD is set to hit back with new Ryzen 6000 series processors in 2022.

OnePlus 10 Pro launch is confirmed to take place in January 2022. The company will announce its new flagship smartphone first in China. The global launch date remains unknown. We can expect the OnePlus 10 Pro India launch date to be announced in Q1 of 2022.

The Samsung Galaxy S22 series is rumoured to debut in February 2022. It will also launch in India soon after the global unveiling. Samsung is expected to launch the Galaxy S22 Plus and the Galaxy S22 Ultra alongside the vanilla model. The top-end Ultra model is likely to replace the Galaxy Note series with the inclusion of the S Pen. As expected, the South Korean tech giant will offer the best hardware available for smartphones in 2022.

If there was one smartphone manufacturer that impressed us the most in 2021 with its premium flagship smartphone, it has to be Vivo. The company first launched the Vivo X60 Pro+ in H1 2021 and fixed its shortcomings with the Vivo X70 Pro+. The flagship smartphone is a part of our top-3 Android flagship smartphones of 2021. Vivo is expected to launch the X80 series in India sometime around March or April. We can expect more improvements in the hardware, especially in the camera department.

Powerful, affordable flagships. Goes without saying, Chinese smartphone companies have changed the Indian smartphone market. The likes of XIaomi, Realme, iQOO have launched affordable flagship smartphones in India that not just offer premium features but make top-of-the-line hardware more accessible to the masses. We can expect 2022 to be the year of more such smartphones launching in the sub-Rs 30,000 category and above.