By Huawei
In 2024 breakthroughs in technology like AI, redefined industries and how we work. As these technologies advanced sustainability also became a core focus as the need to develop greener, more efficient solutions became clearer.
These advancements laid the groundwork for a new era and 2025 promises to build on this momentum, ushering in trends that will further revolutionise industries, enhance personalisation, and simplify complexity across the board. In the new year, the technology landscape will likely be defined by a blend of regulation, innovation, resilience, and a drive for inclusivity and sustainability, addressing both the opportunities and challenges of the rapidly evolving tech ecosystem.
The omnipresence of AI
Artificial Intelligence (AI) was at the forefront of emerging technologies in 2024 and this will likely continue into 2025 – most likely at an accelerated rate. According to Tech Nation Co-Founder, Cheryl Kahla, Gen AI will be everywhere this year, powering more large language models (LLMs), agents, and applications than ever before.
“AI is going to be everywhere, infused into everything, from our smartphones and smart homes to our cars and even home appliances,” mirrors Akhram Mohamed, Managing Director of The Blank Canvas and Editor at Geekhub “Think personalised experiences, smarter automation and devices that become an extension of ourselves. Imagine a smart home that anticipates your needs, adjusting the lighting and temperature before you even ask, or a fitness tracker that creates a personalised workout plan based on your sleep patterns and recovery rate. AI is about to make our devices feel like they were designed just for us.”
He observes that AI will also transform how we consume entertainment, with streaming platforms offering hyper-targeted recommendations and smart speakers providing contextual responses; “It’s all about creating a seamless, intuitive experience that makes technology feel more like a personalised companion”.
“For the first time in history, we are able to ‘talk’ to our data. We can upload a PDF with user data into an AI agent and have a conversation with it,” adds Kahla. “And as chatbots and agents continually advance, we are progressively shifting towards a reality where we could ‘talk’ to our devices the way we’re already talking to ChatGPT.”
A transformative shift in devices
Advancements in device and wearable technologies are redefining how we interact with tech, driving both form and function and marking a new era of convenience and personalisation in everyday tech.
First and foremost, the foldable revolution is reshaping mobile and computing devices, offering unprecedented flexibility and portability. While far from ubiquitous, foldable phones are no longer a novelty. “We can expect to see more foldable devices, from smartphones and tablets to laptops and even TVs, but that is likely to kick off in 2026,” notes Mohamed.
Meanwhile, the amplification of seamless integration across devices and systems will enhance connectivity in 2025, enabling smoother workflows and smarter ecosystems, while increasingly personalised health gadgets are expected to empower individuals to take control of their wellbeing with real-time monitoring and tailored insights.
“Consumers crave seamless interactions between our smartphones, home devices, and entertainment systems, wherever we can get it and we can expect to see much deeper integration create more connected and intuitive ecosystems,” adds Kahla. “Additionally, as seen at CES 2025, most health and wellness devices are already using AI to provide tailored insights and wellness management in real-time.”
Realising the potential of AR
Augmented Reality (AR) has long promised to bridge the gap between the digital and physical worlds, and 2025 could be the year this transformative technology comes into its own as AR steadily carves its place, offering practical and immersive applications that extend far beyond entertainment.
“This technology has the potential to truly revolutionise the way we interact with technology and become an extension of ourselves,” says Mohamed.
Imagine using smart glasses to overlay useful information on your surroundings, from step-by-step repair instructions to virtually trying on clothes. In the home, AR could allow users to visualise furniture placement, control devices with gestures, or even blend virtual worlds with real spaces to create interactive games. This revolution is increasingly tied to the development of smart devices, with wearables, like smart glasses, leading the charge. We can expect it to really take off in 2025 and beyond.
AR also holds transformative potential for industries like education and the media landscape.
“Enhancing educational tools could make learning so much more interactive and immersive,” Kahla explains. “And perhaps this will be the year that SA newsrooms tap into the capabilities of AR as well – international weather channels are already using AR to make weather conditions appear larger than life, and Seen TV has been telling stories with AR for years.”
However, personal and data privacy concerns loom, especially in public spaces where non-users may have little control over what is captured and shared. As Mohamed notes; “We still need to navigate the rough terrain of personal and data privacy that comes with the use of AR.”
Despite these hurdles, 2025 could mark the tipping point for AR, ushering in a new era where technology seamlessly integrates into daily life, enhancing how we work, learn, and play.
Sustainable and affordable tech
Sustainability and affordability will be critical pillars for the tech industry as companies strive to meet growing consumer expectations and global environmental goals. Achieving these objectives requires a delicate balance, but innovative approaches can drive progress on both fronts, creating a technology landscape that is greener and more inclusive.
“Sustainability will no longer just be a niche feature, it will become a core component for businesses,” explains Khala. “And, as more companies adopt sustainable practices, the cost of eco-friendly materials and processes should decrease. This could also provide an opportunity for companies to even go the as-a-service model route – where consumers pay for services rather than owning devices outright, thereby reducing waste and promoting longer lifecycles for electronics.”
Additionally, circular design principles, such as creating modular, repairable, and upgradable devices, offer another practical path forward.
“By creating modular, repairable, and upgradable devices, manufacturers can extend product lifespans while reducing waste,” adds Mohamed. “For example, smartphones with replaceable batteries or laptops made from recycled materials demonstrate how sustainability and practicality can coexist.”
On the affordability front, addressing barriers to access is crucial as smart devices are essential for social and economic development. Companies must offer solutions that cater to diverse budgets.
“Offering a range of price points and partnering with government and non-profit organisations to provide subsidies or financing options can help close the accessibility gap,” says Mohamed.
By aligning affordability with sustainability, the tech industry can pave the way for a future where technology is not only more environmentally responsible but also accessible to all, fostering a more inclusive and equitable digital world.
While 5.5G, or 5G-Advance, promises to revolutionise capacity and user experience by increasing network capacity by 10x and enabling new applications, South Africa must overcome hurdles before it sees its widespread adoption.
Progress has been made with successful tests conducted in 2024, but spectrum availability, terminals, applications, and policies, remain underdeveloped for full 5.5G deployment. As noted by Lars Liu, Wireless & Cloud Core MSSD, Huawei Technologies South Africa, “It’s not difficult for operators to upgrade their network from 5G to 5.5G, this can happen when the local ecosystem is ready.”
5.5G’s low-latency capabilities, particularly its reduced latency from 10ms to 1ms, has the potential to open up new business models, especially in logistics and e-commerce. It promises to improve operational efficiency by enabling real-time applications like remote telemedicine, machine control, and IoT solutions. These advancements can enhance industries such as logistics, providing lower-cost IoT solutions for tracking goods and improving delivery times.
“In South Africa, real-time applications like connected vehicles and smart cities could address urban challenges, enhancing road safety and helping to reduce traffic accidents through its Integrated Sensing and Communication (ISAC) capabilities,” notes Liu.
Additionally, smart city applications using passive IoT could improve urban management, connecting assets like smart lamps, buses, and airports. Achieving this requires industry collaboration, including government policy support, spectrum regulation, and partnerships between operators, vendors, and ecosystem partners.
“To leverage 5G and 5.5G network APIs for business innovation and new revenue streams, South African enterprises should also look at successful global cases in industries such as smart manufacturing, agriculture, and traffic. This could help accelerate digital transformation and position South Africa to benefit from 5.5G’s full potential,” says Liu.
As we look toward 2025, it’s clear the tech landscape is set to be shaped by rapid innovation with advancements in AI, connectivity, and sustainability driving both business and societal progress. While challenges remain, the continued push for smarter, integrated systems promises a future where technology enhances convenience and personalisation while crucially addressing global and local challenges.
About Huawei
Huawei is a leading global provider of information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure and smart devices. With integrated solutions across four key domains – telecom networks, IT, smart devices, and cloud services – we are committed to bringing digital to every person, home and organisation for a fully connected, intelligent world.
Huawei’s end-to-end portfolio of products, solutions and services are both competitive and secure. Through open collaboration with ecosystem partners, we create lasting value for our customers, working to empower people, enrich home life, and inspire innovation in organisations of all shapes and sizes.
At Huawei, innovation focuses on customer needs. We invest heavily in basic research, concentrating on technological breakthroughs that drive the world forward. By December 31, 2023, Huawei had 207,000 employees, more than 114,000 of which were R&D employees (55%). In 2023, our total R&D spending reached CNY164.7 billion, representing 23.4% of our total revenue. We operate in more than 170 countries and regions, serving more than three billion people worldwide. In 2023, through the efforts of all employees, the company achieved an estimated annual sales revenue of CNY704.2 billion, aligned with forecasts. Founded in 1987, Huawei is a private company fully owned by its employees.
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