Unplugged: Friendly Technology Trends
Technology trends 2024:
UNPLUGGED: Consumer Technology Trends
This year, IFA, Europe’s biggest consumer electronics show (Berlin, September 6-10), celebrated its 100-year anniversary. The event was characterised by brands setting out their big visions for the near future.
We explore manufacturers’ ambitions to humanise connected homes, where artificial intelligence (AI) is omnipresent and interactions with screens are integrated and lifelike. We also analyse the pioneering brand efforts evolving circularity in the industry. With repairable products, retrofits and energy efficiency, brands are promoting more sustainable and resilient lifestyles. Privacy and streamlined experiences are also prioritised for discreetly powered home lives.
1. Humanising Our Digital Homes
2. Reimagining the Screen
3. Homes for a Changing Planet
4. Life Unwired
Humanising Our Digital Homes
Brands are focusing on creating technology that feels more personal and emotionally engaging. AI-powered devices, like LG's Self-Driving AI Home Hub, are being designed to interact naturally with users, offering customisable experiences. Other innovations include friendly products like Russell Hobbs’ Calm Kettle, which uses lights and soothing sounds to promote a peaceful atmosphere. Smart lighting systems and household devices are being enhanced with calming and personalised features, aiming to make tech interactions more ambient, charming, and less intrusive.
Credit: Samsung
Reimagining the Screen
With people spending over six hours a day on screens, companies are reinventing how screens are used in homes. Instead of passive viewing, there’s a move towards interactive and creative screen experiences. Samsung and Genie TV are integrating AI-generated art and custom visuals, transforming screens into sources of creativity and relaxation. Projectors are also improving, with models from Sony and Yaber offering brighter, more immersive viewing experiences, while embedded sound systems like Samsung’s Music Frame merge audio and visuals seamlessly.
Credit: Samsung
Homes for a Changing Planet
Sustainability is a growing priority, with brands showcasing energy-efficient, repairable, and retrofittable products. Companies like Miele and Liebherr are introducing modular designs that promote longevity and circularity, allowing products to be easily repaired or upgraded. Innovations like SpeedComfort’s radiator retrofit and Samsung’s AI updates for older phones demonstrate how retrofitting can extend product life and reduce waste. Meanwhile Matter has developed technology to capture and recycle micropollutants, specifically for laundry, textiles and wastewater treatment plants. Bosch announced partnering with Matter to bring this innovative technology to homes around the world.
Credit: Bosch // Matter
Life Unwired
The increasing complexity of smart homes, with interconnected devices and IoT, has raised concerns about privacy, security, and convenience. Brands are addressing these issues by creating products that offer seamless, wireless experiences. Midea’s wire-free kitchen appliances and Aukey’s cooling system for faster wireless charging exemplify the push towards convenience without compromising on privacy. Companies like Imou are adding privacy masks to smart doorbells, while the Wireless Power Consortium is working on powering appliances wirelessly. This trend is all about making technology blend more naturally into home life while maintaining control over data and privacy.
Credit: Aukey
Key Learnings
Build Emotion into Interactions
Brands should use AI and technology to create friendly, emotionally engaging experiences that charm and delight consumers in their homes.
Invisible Integrate Technology in Interiors
Seamless integration of tech into home interiors, whether through ambient lighting or hidden sound systems, is key to maintaining a sense of calm and reducing the sense of constant connectivity.
Explore Custom Viewing
Encourage creativity and personalisation by allowing consumers to generate custom content on screens and other devices, making screens more than just passive entertainment tools.
The Future is Retro(fitted)
Retrofitting existing products with upgrades or new features will become increasingly important as consumers focus on sustainability and cost-efficiency.
Start Your Circular Journey Now
Brands should begin moving towards circular production, offering repairable and reusable products to minimise waste and maximise product lifespan.
Build in Privacy & Security
Encourage creativity and personalisation by allowing consumers to generate custom content on screens and other devices, making screens more than just passive entertainment tools.