Smart home trendspotting

What does 2019 hold for households?

Growing competition for smarthome-appliance dominance is one of the top trends data and analytics company GlobalData forecasts for 2019.Forbes.com contributor and media, technology, and lifestyle journalist Anna Tobin reports this in her recent piece “5G And Smart Home Tech to Make It Big In 2019 Forecasts Global Data.” Another article foresees the rolloutof new 5G wireless networks, the continuing expansion of e-sports, the launch of new video services...and ongoing concerns about data privacyas the other top trends to watch for in the new year.

Tobin shares that “many emerging service technologies converging and maturing… will imminently directly impact consumers.” For smart homes, it will “a battle for control” as companies like Amazon and Google “(push) competing artificial intelligence capabilities for device control in the home, while some carriers will aim to make their own platforms into a central hub for the smart home.” The winning approach, if any, is predicted to “become clearer towards the end of the year.” Online, experts have identified other predictions for smarthome technology in 2019. Here are some you do not want to miss out on:

• Going direct to consumers.

Tobin writes that the television and on-demand space are realizing the “value of having ownership and control of content.” Disney, she says, will lead international launches in the areas of “direct-to-consumer subscription (to) video-on-demand services.”

• Better integration of smart home devices.

The CTO further tells Kite-Powell that “smart home Darwinism will weed out devices unable to comply with a broad eco-system of smart devices and home networks.” According to Jones, consumers want smart devices to play well with others, driving developers to have products that will “work well with a broader eco-system of smart devices, enabling customers to get more enjoyment and value from the individual device.”

• A dramatic increase in efficiency and customization in daily lives.

Another prediction from Hones is having more thoughtful Internet of Things devices that can automate and coordinate tasks “based on a greater understanding of their environment and users’ preferences.” Due to this, he says that daily life will become more efficient and smart home devices will have a better sense of consumer preferences and patterns that “go beyond the day’s calendar or general weather update.”

• Greater adoption of spatial awareness technology.

Jennifer Kite-Powell, also of forbes.com,expects an increased call for companies to make devices smarter by giving them a greater sense of spatial awareness in the home…” In the article “Here Are Six Robot and Smart Device Predictions for 2019,” she writes that this capability will be able to tell a vacuum to clean specific areas of the home, like “in front of the couch” or Google Home understanding that the charging base has been temporarily moved to the dining room. One of her resource experts in the piece, iRobot highlights chief technology officer (CTO) Chris Jones, opines that“giving devices spatial awareness will be the single biggest factor in the advancement of smart home technology.”

• Simplification, energy management, comfort, and security.

According to the site of the Consumer Technology Association, these are the three trends for the ultimate smart home. There will be less buttons to “reduce complex interoperability.” By the year 2021, it is predicted that 220 million voice-controlled smart home devices will be in place. Consumers can expect the combination of voice and display features to provide “a more immersive experience, where everyone in a home can engage with the ecosystem.” Additional improvements will also give smart home owners peace of mind and increased convenience when they operate their devices – even away from home. Last but not in the least, intelligent energy management will see new services “due to the increasing availability of smart meters and solar panels.” In the future, more homes will generate their own energy supply and sell excess back to the national grid, Susan Schreiner says in the piece “There’s No Place Like a Smart Home.” ”