Since their inception, laptops have been the go-to tech item for work and play. But in recent years, the market has seen product developments that have turned them into a necessity for many people. The introduction of touch screen technology and automatic cloud backup are just two of these innovations that have contributed to a change in how we consume media and carry out our day-to-day tasks.
In 2022, laptops still have a massive ceiling for continued growth. We will be seeing exciting new technologies introduced and finetuned this year.
So, what does 2022 hold for these devices? Let’s take a closer look and find out.
1. Expect Longer Laptop Battery Lives
As our laptop usage increases and we use our devices for both work and personal use, many consumers demand longer battery lives. This is, even more, the case when many people often use laptops on the go, meaning they can’t plug their charger into power output.
So, what kind of battery life durations will we be seeing soon? Current laptops tend to have a battery life of between eight and 12 hours. However, this might improve even further in the near future.
New releases boast impressive battery lives. For example, the 14-inch 2021 MacBook Pro provides up to 17 hours of video playback—with the 16-inch version upping this to 21 hours. So, in 2022, we’ll hopefully see laptops with even more stellar battery lives. And that begs the question: will one of them reach the 24-hour mark?
If you don’t yet have the means to buy a laptop with better battery life, consider regularly analyzing your current device’s battery health.
2. Laptops Will Become More and More Lightweight
Compared to their predecessors, the laptops we see now are incredibly lightweight. And this decrease in weight is only going to continue. Generally speaking, many laptops that come onto the market today weigh less than three pounds.
To put that into perspective, a quart carton of milk weighs just over two pounds. Compare that to earlier laptop models, too; the 1975 IBM 5100—which was the world’s first portable computer—weighed over 50lbs!
With increasingly smaller integrated circuits, batteries, and the current popularity of lightweight alloy metals for chassis and panels, we can expect to see even lighter laptops in 2022.
3. An Increase in Dual-Screen Displays
Many people like to work with two screens; it’s not uncommon to walk into an office and see an external monitor connected to someone’s laptop. But with the ever-growing demand for convenience, we’re starting to see dual-screen displays introduced into commercial laptops.
The ASUS Zenbook Duo 14, released in 2021, incorporates a dual-screen display; alongside the traditional screen, you’ll find a smaller one placed just above the keyboard.
The Zenbook Duo 14 also has touchscreen capabilities, making it easy for the user to switch between screens. It’s a pretty cool piece of tech, but will this dual-screen feature become more prevalent in 2022? Well, users seem to be loving the dual-screen feature, given how it allows for improved productivity levels and more efficient operation.
Plus, given the huge popularity of dual-monitor setups in our day and age, it’s highly likely that manufacturers will continue to invest in dual-screen technology in the future.
4. AR and VR Integration
Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) are both already pretty popular in our day and age. But how can they be incorporated into laptops?
AR and VR laptop integration isn’t necessarily a new concept. The first laptop to support such capabilities came out in early 2019 with the release of the zSpace AIO laptop. This device combines holographic AR projection with VR technology and comes with a pair of zSpace smart glasses and a stylus. The laptop is essentially designed to further immerse the user in the interface and allow them to explore more lifelike experiences.
Such a laptop is hugely useful in educational spaces but can also be fun for users in a more recreational setting—in the same way that traditional VR and AR can be. So, we’ll probably be seeing more laptops with such capabilities in the near future.
5. Foldable Displays
You’ve probably seen the new range of Samsung’s foldable smartphones. And, while some may find such features a little kitsch, that isn’t stopping the laptop industry from moving forward with the fold. No longer will you only be able to fold your laptop between the keyboard and screen, because screens themselves can now fold, too!
In November 2020, Lenovo released their X1 Fold laptop. Some could argue that this is a tablet, not a laptop—but we’ll leave that decision up to you.
So far, Lenovo is one of the only brands to have released such a device. Moreover, you have to question whether users really want a computer with a foldable screen.
Given the mixed reception of the Samsung Fold series, it’s safe to say the jury may still be out. But the ability that foldable displays have to increase a device’s screen size but maintain compactness could prove to be popular once the technology has had some time to mature.
6. Faster Solid-State Drives (SSDs)
The SSD is an integral part of any newer laptop and often replaces hard disk drives. It is responsible for storing large of amounts data using flash memory, and it can do so regardless of whether the laptop is on or off. Different kinds of SSDs have varying sizes and speeds.
Apple’s MacBook Air has an impressive 256GB SSD, which is pretty sizeable, and the computer has an equally impressive speed. Meanwhile, some Dell XPS devices have an incredible 1TB SSD capacity—making them some of the largest on the market. As laptop technology continues evolving, we can expect faster and larger SSD storage capacities to come with our devices.
There’s Really No Telling Where Laptop Technology Will Go Next
While we can speculate on how laptops will evolve over time, nobody knows for sure what our devices will look like 12 months from now—let alone beyond 2022.
Of course, many companies might try to innovate with technology that looks like it belongs in a sci-fi film. But at the same time, they must consider what consumers want—and this will undoubtedly play a role in what we see going forward.