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Hot Technology Products for 2019
Autumn Promotional Technology Product Show Review – Hong Kong
Our promotional gadget expert Desktop Matt has just returned from pounding the exhibition halls at the recent Technology Product Show in Hong Kong. After around 60k steps on his Activity Tracker, he returned to tell us what technology products will be hot and trending in 2019.
Matt’s says…
The show not surprisingly did not throw up any totally new concepts to take over from the current focus on items such as power banks and speakers but it did highlight some very popular trends in technology for our market.
Probably the single most popular Technology concept is what has been christened ‘ true wireless stereo or TWS‘ or more simply the ability to pair two Bluetooth audio devices to each other to create wireless stereo for listening to music. Most popular items at the show with this feature were Bluetooth earbuds and travel speakers. Such products simply turn on, one device takes the lead and pairs to the other and then your phone/tablet/ laptop and you can enjoy great stereo sound.
Wireless charging continues to be very current and one to watch for the future. Looking around the show there will be plenty of buying options! However quality, usability and safety are concerns at the low end and consumer demand, compatibility and a slower than expected uptake is still a question for many. One to watch closely for 2019
‘Smart’ home products and connected devices such as plugs, security locks, Wi-fi driven cameras at your front door and light bulbs continue to grow and whilst probably still mainly of retail interest will become part of our ‘home makeup’ sooner than you think …
Power banks and charging cables still dominate the shows with a myriad of new styles, sizes and prices on display. The market does seem a little flooded in this area however with some slow down in interest from buyers as it’s been all ‘done and seen before’ but cool and unique models still have the power to wow! Excuse the pun …
Usb C hubs and connectivity solutions were probably one of the surprise products areas as hubs had slowed down in terms of interest a few years ago. However the rapid introduction now of USB type C connectivity into many new laptops is driving a new interest in good quality hubs that can be fed from a USB C port and then power /sync data with 3-4 older style USB A accessories (such as flash drives / mice etc), HDMI and or other ports built into a handy travel gadget often with great branding area.
Fast charge PD adapters and in-car chargers will become a big part of our ‘re-charging’ world as we all strive to charge our phones quicker and more often. The Fast charge delivered by PD enabled devices will become popular in the car as they themselves will turn into ‘info/entertainment centres’ as driverless cars revolutionise our world over the coming ten years.
Alexa and smart Home entertainment systems are growing in popularity with Amazon selling the Alexa solution to many professional factories in China now. However the fierce battle on hardware costs makes it tricky for our market volumes and with Google, Apple, Microsoft and Amazon battling it out on the retail market this looks a tricky area for the promo market in terms of price competitiveness and margins.
Bluetooth 5 is now live and expanding rapidly into many new products and service areas/location services. This new standard is bringing far greater wireless transmission distances between gadget and host device. This coupled with the ability to pair up to 10 or more devices to one host device this opens the door to many new and improved speakers, trackers, heart rate monitors, headphones, earbuds etc …
Fitness trackers, smartwatches and colour display ‘activity bands’ are making a big come back! After a rapid rise to consumer focus and then slight slow down over the last 12 months, the tracker and SmartWatch are now very popular with most major consumer brands having them made for them. Many of these brands have added a colour screen bringing a new dimension to the product. Many factories are developing this style and with competitive prices, smart and colourful two-tone bands and professional APPS – software and even GPS bundled in this is an area to watch and stay close too.
Thanks, Matt …..So lots of cool Tech gadgets to stay focused on for 2019. This product area remains one of the fastest in promotional product marketing.
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