Groundwork laid, here are the tech developments we will see in 2023

From common charging port to Right to Repair, the focus would be on consumer convenience

When it comes to tech innovations and happenings, 2022 has been a year of laying the groundwork for things that will take shape in 2023 or further down, in 2024.

From the European Union’s historic move to make USB Type-C a common charging port for all electronic devices, starting 2024, to the launch of mobile chips with hardware ray tracing support, it’s been a busy year for consumer tech.

From the India perspective, here are the things to watch out for in 2023:

Decision on common charging port for electronic devices
 

Following the EU’s move, India, too, is considering shifting to a common charging port for all electronic devices with the aim to simplify things for consumers and cut down on the massive amounts of e-waste generated in the country.

There is a slight difference in the approach, though. The government is of the view that India should move to two types of standards: one for portable devices such as smartphones, laptops and tablets; and another for feature phones, which are prevalent in the country and have a significant market share.

There have been frequent consultations between the inter-ministerial task force set up by the Union government and the stakeholder in the industry. By next year, there would likely be a decision on a common charging port for electronic devices.

Right to Repair may become a reality
 

Another framework that would have a direct bearing on the health of the environment and consumers is the ‘Right to Repair’.

Some manufacturers keep restrictive policies with regard to product repairs, which make them and their authorised service partners the only available channel for any repair-related service required by the consumers – especially, to avail of the warranty.

The Right to Repair would essentially decentralise the manufacturers’ control on repairs, allowing people to get their products – such as smartphones, laptops, cars and refrigerators – fixed on their own without losing the warranty.

This right has been recognised in many countries, including the US, UK and the European Union, but has gained India’s interest only this year.

In its first meeting to develop a comprehensive framework on the Right to Repair, a government committee this year identified important sectors to implement it. These include farming equipment, mobile phones, tablets, consumer durables, and automobiles/automobile equipment. By next year, the Right to Repair framework is likely to become a reality in India.

5G
 

Year 2023 would be a defining one for 5G. The next-generation network would be available in more towns and cities, and there will be an influx of devices across price bands, including entry-level smartphones, to make it mainstream.

Also, some of the use cases of 5G – such as robotics, cloud computing and cloud gaming, which were tested and showcased before its launch – may roll out commercially for consumers to experience.

Lastly, there would be some clarity from telcos on the 5G tariff plans.

Super app ecosystem
 

A super app allows businesses to consolidate their offering under one umbrella. Such apps are common in China, and are now inviting interest across the world.

In India, the Tata Group officially rolled out its super app, named Tata Neu, this year. Next year, the super app ecosystem in the country is set to draw more names, including from Asia’s richest tycoon, Gautam Adani. Touted to be “the Ferrari of the digital world” by Adani, the super app would take off in the first half of next year.

Other possible entrants in 2023 could be the MyJio app from Reliance Retail, a wholly owned subsidiary of Reliance Industries, and Paytm.

Ray tracing games to mobile phones
 

Ray tracing is an image-rendering technology that brings realism to games by producing realistic lighting effects. This technology requires significant computing resources; therefore, it has been restricted to gaming consoles and computers until now.

With the advancement in mobile chips, the ray tracing technology is now available at hardware level in premium mobile chips from Qualcomm, MediaTek, and Samsung. It essentially means that developers of mobile games can now leverage this new-age technology to deliver realistic graphics in games played on mobile devices.