00:00It's time for my big 2026 tech predictions. If I wanted to, I could just sit here and gloat about
00:05nailing my predictions for 2025. The humanoid robot army, the rise of folding phones,
00:10the AI hardware collapse. Oh, that was painful. But gloating won't help you prepare for the future.
00:16So let's turn our eyes to 2026. What is the tech world bringing to the table? I've crunched the
00:21numbers, looked at the trends and consulted the industry. Here is what you need to know.
00:26First up, the AI of everything. Forget about an AI bubble bursting. In 2026,
00:31we're just getting bigger models and integrated advertising. Yay. The headline here is OpenAI
00:37delivering GPT-6. We're talking a massive leap in computational power and reasoning.
00:43But if you're waiting for AGI, which is artificial general intelligence that thinks like us,
00:48don't hold your breath. 2026 isn't the year. We have a lot of work to do on processing speed
00:54and software. The hurdle happens to be something called polymathic intelligence. Oh, that hurts.
00:58We need systems that understand music, physics, biology, and architecture all at once and that can
01:04think across all of those disciplines. Good luck finding that. We probably won't see it until 2028
01:10at the earliest. In the meantime, it's a two horse race. OpenAI versus Google. Google is going to shove
01:17Gemini into everything. That line between search results and AI overview. Goodbye. It's going to vanish.
01:24Meanwhile, ChatGPT is practically becoming a search engine itself. These two will dominate and
01:30consolidation for everyone else. That's pretty much inevitable. Don't expect Uncle Sam to step in with
01:36regulations. They won't catch up to AI time because everything's going that fast in 2026 and beyond.
01:42Let's talk about hardware. It's going to be a rough year for PC builders. The RAM crisis in 2025,
01:48it is intensifying in 2026. If you're a gamer, you're the loser here. And don't look to NVIDIA for
01:54comfort. They're focused on global AI expansion, not consumer graphics cards. However, there is a bright
02:00spot. The ARM desktop revolution. Qualcomm's Snapdragon X series is finally matching Apple in performance
02:07and battery life. While Intel and AMD still rule the roost, expect Qualcomm to grab a measurable
02:14slice of the Windows market next year. Speaking of Apple, because how could we not talk about Apple?
02:19Get ready for eyeglasses. Tim Cook has been talking about augmented reality forever. By late 2026,
02:26we might finally see Apple's AR glasses. I simply can't wait. Now think polished, light, and hopefully
02:32somewhat affordable. Also expect the iFold. Finally. Apple is likely dropping a folding iPhone or iPad to
02:40compete with Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 and outrun the new Samsung Galaxy Z Trifold. And speaking of Tim
02:47Cook, he's not going anywhere. He's staying in that CEO chair right through 2026 to see the AR glasses
02:53through to the finish line. And finally, robots. Can't miss robots. The humanoid robot race, it is on.
02:59Companies like One X will deliver the Neo Beta in the early part of the year for a cool $20
03:04,000.
03:05But here's the reality check. These robots are going to be very slow. If you're okay with a robot
03:09taking 45 minutes to empty the dishwasher, you're set. As for the rest of us, home-ready robots are
03:15still years away, other than robot vacuums. Before I go, a lightning round of 2026 predictions. Number one,
03:23the next Windows will be called Windows Co-Pilot. Number two, Gen Z and Gen Alpha will
03:28likely start rejecting social media in favor of in-person activities. Number three, Sam Altman and
03:35Johnny Ive will release AI hardware that gets huge buzz and terrible sales. And four, 8K TVs?
03:42Yeah, they're still not taking off. My brain is stuffed with the possibilities,
03:46but those are the headlines. 2026 is coming fast and I can't wait. Stick with TechRadar.com
03:53for more predictions about the big year in tech to come.
Comments