Jason Ward's extreme 2022 tech predictions: PWA, mobile PCs, and more

Folding Surface fan render, by David Breyer.

Techies are an imaginative bunch. Envisioning what the futurity holds is just something nosotros do.

Some of what nosotros envision may be fanciful, ambitious and unlikely in our lifetimes. Other things, based on electric current technology and trends are almost a given.

In this piece, I volition share my predictions for 2022. I believe that everything that will follow is non simply plausible only likely in the coming year. Your opinion may differ. Time volition tell.

Ambient calculating and security concerns rising

We're living in an increasingly connected world. Smartphones, smart appliances, smart speakers, connected cars, the locks on our homes and more are connected to the cyberspace. The growth of this connected reality and IoT is outpacing the regulations and legislation that would protect us.

Connected cars take been hacked both remotely and from within the vehicle. Smart homes have been breached allowing hackers access to everything continued to the home's WiFi, including the smartphones of guests. The government hacked smart TVs. And sure versions of the Amazon Repeat are vulnerable to physical hacks.

As we keep trusting more of our lives and concrete rubber (internet connected door locks and connected cars) to the internet, those with malicious intent will further infiltrate our lives. Equally we approach a 2022 5G rollout, and more devices come online in 2022, I believe a critical mass will be reached that will force greater attention, and more regulations to address the inherent vulnerabilities of ambient calculating in 2022.

Ambient computing puts us at greater gamble from hackers

Celluar PCs and the carrier effect

Cellular PCs will get increasingly popular during 2022. Their smartphone-like attributes such every bit being always continued, long battery life and instant-on capabilities will begin grooming consumers to use them like they use smartphones.

Furthermore the eSIM applied science that allows users to buy data from different carriers through the Microsoft Store will give users more flexibility and pick regarding information plans. I predict this data purchasing model for a growing platform of connected devices will provoke carriers to get more competitive with their packages and offerings.

2018 will exist the beginning of this shift, with greater impact in 2022 as the market place becomes more than saturated with cellular PCs and 5G begins to roll out.

How 5G and Progressive Web Apps may set Microsoft'south app gap

Microsoft'south pocketable Surface and carriers beware

Microsoft volition launch its pocketable telephony-enabled Surface the Fall of 2022. This will be a cellular PC, like the cellular PCs before it, but will have telephony. As such the eSIM tech that powers the device's connectivity will also back up voice. Users will have the aforementioned carrier flexibility with voice plans as they will have with cellular PC information plans through the Microsoft Store.

I believe carriers that will have already begun to respond to a shift in the data purchasing model volition foresee, with this telephony-enabled PC category, a need to become competitive with voice packages equally well.

Carriers know that 5G will begin rolling out in 2022 and a new PC category with telephony introduced at the stop of 2022 foreshadows a potential shift in the current device-vocalism-data model. Carriers volition grow concerned that the adoption of this category over fourth dimension (as PWAs and 5G make it more than plausible) will too change the smart device distribution model. Equally this PC category will take flexible telephony options accessed through the Microsoft Shop, carrier stores volition become less important if, in the long run, this category leapfrogs smartphones as Microsoft hopes. I don't envision PWA adoption reaching a point where this device category volition compete with smartphones until 2022, however.

Microsoft must leverage eSIM and edge calculating to position ultramobile PCs

Progressive Web Apps (PWA), 5G and app gap begone

Though not all app types translate well to PWAs, 2022 will be the beginning of a broader use of PWAs on diverse device types including cellular PCs and Border. This will be the start of an eradication of Microsoft'due south app gap, that volition continue into 2022 as powerful processors, and 5G connectivity makes web apps respond like native apps.

We'll also begin hearing more from multiple companies almost how PWAs and 5G volition modify the electric current "warehouse of apps" app model. Pay shut attention to Build 2022, Google I/O and Apple's WWDC. Equally the 2022 5G rollout approaches the high-capacity, depression-latency persistent connectivity it'll provide will brand edge computing more pervasive. The reliability of secure, robust 5G networks will inspire companies to begin sharing, in 2022, their plans to encompass the web and cloud every bit a platform for apps.

This industry shift in the app model will begin in 2022 and reach a signal that eradicates Microsoft's app gap, I believe, by 2022.

What is border computing and how does information technology affect mobile?

Quick picks…

Edge computing volition enable more powerful and intuitive AI on mobile devices. ODG will launch telephony-enabled AR smartglasses. And Qualcomm will win its fight against Broadcom's hostile takeover attempts.

These are some of my predictions, what are yous expecting in 2022?

Ask Windows Central: Will there be a Surface Duo 3?

Episode ten

Enquire Windows Central: Will there exist a Surface Duo 3?

Welcome to the tenth episode of Ask Windows Central, a show where we reply our community'southward most asked questions around Microsoft, Windows, Surface, Xbox, and the general tech industry. In today'south episode, nosotros respond questions almost Windows 11, Surface Duo, Your Phone, and more!

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It's here

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