There be dragons.
The annual Push Square Towers tradition is back, as we sit down our scribes and pester them once more for their five favourite PlayStation games of the year. With such a strong assortment of software in 2018, it’s always tough deciding upon the cream of the crop. Rob spent a whole week “finding himself” up in the mountains before deciding on the final order of this list.
Read the full article on pushsquare.com
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Disney Parks and Lucasfilm have been unveiling details about the new Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge theme park expansion project, which is opening in 2019 at two Disney locations in the United States: Disneyland in California and Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Orlando, Florida.
Although there have been a few teasers so far, a new trailer has been released that offers fans of the franchise a good glimpse of what the new theme parks are expected to look like, along with face-to-face interviews with some of the big names behind Lucasfilm and the creatives behind the development of the rides.
For the first time, the preview video reveals details about the two main attractions within Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
First up there’s Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run, which looks like Star Tours with a big upgrade.
This attraction will allow fans to take the role of pilots, gunners and flight engineers within the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon, which Scott Trowbridge, Creative Executive at Walt Disney Imagineering, says will be “an intense, super fun experience on the fastest ship in the galaxy”.
The video also revealed details of Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, another attraction in which visitors will become a recruit of the resistance before coming face-to-face with Kylo Ren.
According to Disney, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge will be opening in summer 2019 at Disneyland in Anaheim, California and Fall 2019 at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Orlando, Florida.
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Android One is the closest you’ll get to plain, pure Android from manufacturers other than Google, with brands like Motorola, LG, Nokia and HTC all creating phones based on the platform.
Next to most custom interfaces, Android One looks clean and simple. That could lead you to think you can’t do much to alter how it looks and feels – but you can.
Sure, until you get ambitious you can’t play with that many parts of Android One, but these easy tweaks will let you put your own stamp on a One phone.
Your phone comes with a bunch of pre-installed wallpapers. To browse through them, just long-press on an empty part of a home screen and select Wallpapers – some phones have so many you won’t need to go looking elsewhere.
If you want to try creating your own wallpaper, you should first know the screen resolution you need to cater for. If you’re a hardcore phone fan you may well know this already. Not sure? Press the power and volume down buttons at the same time to take a screenshot.
Next, open up Google Photos, select the Albums tab and then Screenshots. Tap the screenshot you just took, then tap the three-pip menu button at the top-right of the screen. Select Info and you’ll see the screen resolution on this page. For the Motorola Moto One, for instance, it’s 1520 x 720 pixels.
If you want to design your own wallpaper, using an app like Photoshop, start with an image of this resolution.
If you’d rather keep things simple, and put in less effort, you can just download a wallpapers app like Walli. This lets you pick from thousands of images, all of which are free to use as long as you keep it to personal, rather than commercial, use.
It’s often only people with poorer close-up vision who tinker with the interface and text scaling in their phones. You’ll find sliders for both parameters in the Accessibility part of your Android One phone’s Settings menu and if you tend to need reading glasses, these controls are invaluable.
However, there’s no reason all of us shouldn’t have a play around to see if Google’s taste, as seen in the default settings, matches our own.
Display Size changes how big icons, text boxes and so on appear and Font Size doesn’t just affect the peppering of words on home screens and in the Settings menu, but in apps too.
If you buy an Android One phone, there’s a good chance you like Android in its pure form. However, if you get bored or want to try something completely different, you need a Launcher app.
These replace the home screens and apps menu of the Moto One. Sometimes it’s with something completely different, while other launchers aim for a traditionally Android-like feel and look, but with more customization options. Here are some of the launcher apps you may want to try.
Microsoft’s launcher is not, as you might expect, an Android take on Windows 10 for phones. However, it does look and feel quite different to standard Android. It adds Cortana support, a dark apps menu with an alphabetic key, and a home screen designed to keep you up to date with services like Microsoft’s Calendar.
This is one of the most popular launchers, and is perhaps the best example of one that looks quite a lot like normal Android but offers incredible scope for customization. Just a few of the tweaks you can make in Nova are adding seven icons to the home screen dock, removing text below icons, and choosing between three distinct styles of app drawer.
Want to try a more iPhone-like look? X Launcher is one of a small handful of launcher apps that emulates the style of iOS. It doesn’t look or feel exactly like Apple’s software, but, notwithstanding a few quirks, you get a distinct hit of Apple flavor. The Control Center is particularly impressive: swipe up and you’ll see toggles for features, and a brightness slider, that look just like those on an iPhone.
You may not find this customization in every single Android One phone but it’s a subtle way to distinctly tweak the software’s visual personality. Android One lets you change the shape of your app icons.
The trusty old circle is used as standard, but you can also try the business-like square, quirky ‘squircle’, left-field teardrop, the individualistic ‘column’, and the officious rounded square.
Yes, we did make up those personality traits, but the degree to which changing the icon shape alters the impression the software leaves is borderline bizarre.
You’ll find the icon shape control in the Home Settings menu, accessed from the screen that pops up when you long-press on an empty part of a home screen. Keep this one in the back pocket in case an update brings it to the Moto One.
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The Boxing Day sales aren’t done yet, folks. So if you didn’t get time to check out the deals yesterday, don’t worry one bit. We’ve just updated this article and are happy to report most of the best deals are still going strong. Now there’s a chance some of these offers will carry through until the January sales, but we expect there will be a slight lull between now and then at some point, so don’t dawdle for long if you see something you like as prices could change at any moment.
After all, you’ve surely got better things to be doing on the Christmas break queuing to enter and leave a retail park’s car park or trying to work out who is having a decent sale from the huge number of UK retailer websites, sifting through what they’re claiming to be epic deals when you know full well you’ve seen them cheaper elsewhere on the same day. So let us do it for you. We’ve rounded up the finest, genuine ones right here!
So yes sit back, scroll down a little and you’ll see we’ve started to list the best offers so far. We’ll be updating this page throughout the Christmas break right up until the dust has cleared on those January sales too. It’s time to: Treat. Yo. Self.
We’ve shown you where the best Boxing Day sales are happening today. But we thought we’d also highlight some of favourite individual offers from the best sales we’ve seen, followed by deals in a range of specific categories. We’ll be updating this page throughout the Christmas break, so we will of course be highlighting the finest picks from the January sales too, so feel free to keep coming back to check out the freshest discounts. A word of warning though, we generally find the best deals tend to go live around Boxing Day nowadays, rather than January.
All the big stores get stuck in. With so many keen shoppers going online over the Christmas period in recent years, it’s just too good a chance for them to finish 2018 off with some extra money in the bank. Let’s take a look at the big hitters below and what you can nab from each.
Not a silly question at all. As we just said, a lot of stores are starting today and we expect even more will go live on Christmas Day – yes they’re pretty keen. If just before Christmas is the time to scramble for last-minute gifts, anytime from the day itself onwards is the chance to treat yourself or use those gift vouchers to make a great deal a truly spectacular bargain.
Expect an early start here too. Although if we’re going off the last few years, the January sales haven’t been particularly special. It’s been all about the Boxing Day deals really, although we’re pleased to report some of the better ones stayed online a good few days into January. January sales are more of a continuation of the remaining Boxing Day sales so you can probably expect to see many stores simply rebrand the sales to ‘January sales’ the day after Boxing Day on December 27th.
Given many workplaces are off until around January 2nd, retailers are keen to show you the best deals as soon as possible while you’ve got time off at home rather than try to push deals on you while you’re heading back to work or nursing that New Year’s Eve hangover.
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Ok, let’s do this. We’re deep into the ultimate shopping season and that means we need to find you the absolute best cheap PS4 deals in the land. PS4 prices seemed to rally together in recent months with discounts few and far between. That ends today though as we’ve got a nice range of hot bundles for your consideration. And what great timing with so many of the year’s most anticipated releases finally landing. Naturally, lots of the below PS4 bundles comes with some of the season’s hottest games. Be sure to cast an eye over our other picks from the Boxing Day sales and January sales too.
We’re on the hunt for the best PS4 prices all year round, so we won’t be fooled by the fake deals that are more expensive than they were a few weeks ago or bundles that offer rubbish savings over buying the games separately. We want to help you save as much money as possible. We also want you to play the games everyone’s shouting about which is why we’re going the extra mile to track down PS4 and PS4 Pro bundles with the likes of Red Dead Redemption 2, Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, FIFA 19, Spider-Man and more.
On this page we’ve listed the best cheap PS4 prices in the UK (here’s our US page and our Australian page) so you can find all of the cheapest PS4 deals. Below you’ll find all of the absolute cheapest standalone PS4 deals from UK retailers, followed by our pick of the extras-packed PS4 bundles that offer the best value and discounts.
The PS4 is currently available in two forms. Directly below, you’ll find the best deals for the PS4 Slim which has come in to replace the original model with a slimmer design – we generally no longer list prices for the older PS4 as the Slim is cheaper nowadays and a better piece of kit. After the PS4 bundles you’ll see the latest deals for the PS4 Pro – the newer fancy 4K model (here’s the lowdown on the differences).
The PS4 Slim is… slimmer, quieter and smaller
The PS4 Slim launched in September 2016 for around £259 (500GB) or £310 (1TB) and has now replaced the original fatter PS4. The new console is smaller, lighter, more power efficient and cheaper than the remaining stock of the older PlayStation 4 deals nowadays, so you’re not paying more for the refined tech. We’d advise you check out the cheap PS4 bundles further down this page as many of them are cheaper than buying the console on its own or you can get a lot more for a spending a bit extra on top.
You’ll often find that the most attractive way to get a cheap PS4 is with a bundle with extra hardware or extra games. These are the best PS4 bundle prices currently available in the UK – we update these deals on a regular basis.
Want to look through some more cheap PS4 deals? It’s ok, you’re only hurting our feelings a little. The links below will take you straight to the PS4 console deals section of the following websites, just in-case you fancy digging out a bargain of your own.
The PS4 that offers 4K gaming and Netflix
Essentially, the PS4 Pro is a 4K upgrade of the current PS4, rather than a ‘next-gen’ console. The keywords to take in from the PS4 Pro are 4K and HDR. The new machine allows game developers to include 4K resolution and High Dynamic Range options in their games, so expect the like of Uncharted 4, Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, Days Gone, Horizon: Zero Dawn and more to look even better on a HDR-enabled 4K TV. You’ll also be able to stream 4K content from Netflix and Amazon. Want to get the right TV? Then check out our cheap 4K TV deals page. We’ve seen big discounts as Sony fights off the latest Xbox One X deals too.
If you’re buying a PS4, you’ll probably need a cheap PlayStation Plus deal too. PlayStation Plus (aka PS Plus or PS+) allows you to play PS4 games online, along with access to the Instant Game Collection, a bunch of free games for PS4, PS3 and Vita each month. The default price for a year is £50. We can do better than that though, so check out our selection of the best PlayStation Plus deals.
Need an extra cheap PS4 controller? Don’t forget to check our Best DualShock 4 deals. Or maybe a cheap PlayStation VR deal? If you’re still torn, maybe you’d prefer one of our Xbox One deals?
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It’s that time of year where we see retailers unleash some of the hottest Nintendo Switch bundle deals of the year! We’ll be updating this page throughout all the sales for the Christmas/January sales shopping season and beyond.
We’re listing all of the best Switch deals right here and we’ll be on the lookout for the best bundles with extra games, controllers and other accessories. We’ve just added a whole new batch of them to this guide. Scroll past the bundles on this page and we’ll show you prices on extra Joy-Con and Pro controllers and Nintendo Switch memory cards too. If you want to play online multiplayer and get other benefits like free games you’ll want to pick up a Nintendo Switch Online subscription deal.
US bundles are small in number this week, but we’ve rounded up the best ones, including packs with extra controllers, Labo kits and Mario Tennis Aces. In the UK you can find plenty with the best Nintendo Switch games like Super Smash Bros Ultimate, Super Mario Odyssey, Pokemon: Let’s Go Pikachu/Eevee, Mario Kart 8: Deluxe and more all with a decent discount too. You’ll find all the best Nintendo Switch bundles from reliable retailers below.
If you’re looking for another dose of Nintendo’s handheld happiness then maybe you want to consider a cheap 3DS deal too. We have a dedicated page of Nintendo Switch prices for our Australian readers too.
Want to know where to buy a Nintendo Switch? Check out our comparison chart below for the latest Nintendo Switch prices. Below that you’ll find the best value Nintendo Switch bundles with games/accessories. Don’t forget, on its own, the MSRP/RRP Nintendo Switch price is $299/£279, so you don’t want to pay more than that unless you’re getting some extras.
We’ve highlighted our picks of the best Nintendo Switch bundles below. Just be aware that the game bundles don’t really offer much of a discount over buying the items separately. We’ll steer you clear of console bundles that actively charge you more than the regular combined RRP (not cool, guys!).
The UK scene for discounted Nintendo Switch deals is quite competitive thanks to the large number of retailers trying to get your business. We usually find a strong selection of bundles every week nowadays, even in those quieter times of year not particularly known for sales. So take a look below for discounts on packages with games, hardware and accessories.
As with any new console we imagine you’re wanting to know a bit more about the console before you put any money down. So in addition to finding the best Nintendo Switch deals, we’re going to help bring in answers to the burning questions.
The Joy-Con controller is actually a pair of controllers that attach to the sides the the Nintendo Switch when not in use or when playing in tablet form away from the TV. When playing the Nintendo Switch on the TV, you can remove them and play with one in each hand. The left hand gets a controller with an analogue stick and d-pad, the right hand handles the one with a second analogue and the usual A, B, X and Y face buttons. Or you and a friend can use one each in multiplayer games with the d-pad doubling up as impromptu face buttons.
You get a pair with the console, but you might want to buy more to allow extra players to get involved in games like Mario Kart 8, FIFA 18 and many more. Or maybe you just fancy some different colors for your own use.
The Joy-Con Grip is an additional accessory that joins the two Joy-Con controllers together, forming something something a bit more solid for you to hold thanks to the extended handles and plastic block between the two sides. The square dimension form-factor may remind older gamers of the Dreamcast controller, while everyone else will mainly be thinking how it resembles an odd-looking dog face. Nintendo is providing one in the box with the Nintendo Switch, so you won’t have to buy one separately. This won’t charge your controller though and doesn’t have a battery pack.
Yes and it doesn’t come with the console. But you won’t actually need one to play any games, so don’t feel pressured in to buying one. The Nintendo Switch Pro controller is a more traditional-style pad and launched alongside the Nintendo Switch. Prices aren’t cheap though, starting around $69.99/£64.99. There’s currently no sign of a Nintendo Switch Premium Edition console with one included.
Possibly not! Remember how the Joy-Con controller splits in two? Turn them sideways and you get two basic controllers, each with their own analogue stick and face buttons – the d-pad acts as face functions on the left controller. So far we’ve seen 2K’s NBA series, Snipper Clips and Mario Kart being used this way for local multiplayer in both docked and tablet modes. So you get multiplayer functionality straight out of the box with no additional purchase required.
However, if you want to play four-player games, then you’re going to need to invest in an extra pair of Joy-Con controllers or some Pro controllers. We’d buy the Joy-Cons as a pair (see our comparison chart above) as you’ll save a bit of cash over buying them separately. Better yet, if your friends own a Switch, ask them to bring their controllers to the party!
This has been one of the best games on the Nintendo Switch so far and an absolute must for Mario and platforming fans. Like Zelda below though, this being a first-party Nintendo title, it’s taking forever to go down in price. It’s slowly happening though, so we’ve rounded up the cheapest Super Mario Odyssey prices for you below. If you’re not getting this game in a bundle, we’d strongly advise picking it up separately as soon as possible.
The reviews have heaped huge praise upon this eagerly awaited launch title, making it an essential purchase for any Nintendo Switch buyer. As with any new console, the prices of the big games can be more expensive than usual. We’ve shopped around for you though and have found the best prices for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild on the Nintendo Switch. Take a look below.
With only 32GB of internal storage, you’ll be wanting to pick up a cheap memory card or two for your new Nintendo Switch for any digital purchases or the inevitable game-fixing patches. Don’t fret though, they’re actually surprisingly cheap, with even 64GB ones coming in at under £20/$25.
What memory cards does the Nintendo Switch need? Those will be Micro SD cards also known as, depending on their size, as MicroSDHC (up to 32GB) or MicroSDXC (up to a huge 2TB soon). Nintendo will be releasing their own branded cards, but you’ll be paying more, just for a label. So for now, we’d take a look at this range of cheap MicroSDXC Nintendo Switch-friendly cards.
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Sony’s PlayStation Classic is an amazing device, but we found it doesn’t quite measure up to Nintendo’s NES and SNES nostalgia boxes.
Namely, the PS1 revival machine’s games catalog left out some of heavy-hitters.
Update: Sony and Amazon have slashed the PlayStation Classic even further after Christmas to just $59.99 – a 40% or $40 discount.
The PS Classic console itself is nearly worth the price alone: it’s a faithfully-reproduced yet shrunken version of the original PlayStation with functioning buttons. The bundled-in pair of controllers are dead ringers for the ones that came with the first round of PS1 systems, though they don’t have control sticks (thankfully, there are workarounds).
Sadly, it doesn’t have a functioning CD reader or lid, so you won’t be able to play your old PS1 discs. You can’t add more games digitally, either.
But, for a reduced price, the list of games isn’t bad, with classics like Final Fantasy VII, Tekken 3, Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee, Rayman, Resident Evil Director’s Cut and Metal Gear Solid headlining the console. The rest are a mix of cult classics and forgotten titles, so don’t expect old favorites like Crash Bandicoot, Tomb Raider, Chrono Cross or Gran Turismo.
A discounted $60 makes this nostalgia box an amazing buy – and, since it’s shipped by Amazon, it will probably make it to you before Christmas break is over.
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Update: The US PlayStation Plus price we highlighted earlier is still holding strong, The UK one is slowly going up in price, although it’s still the best PS Plus deal around by miles. Is this a sign the big discount is coming to an end though?
If you’re scrambling for a last-minute (or just plain old late) present, then this cheap PlayStation Plus membership price is the perfect chance to still get a gift for someone as it’ll be delivered instantly to your inbox and store account.
We’ve tracked down the cheapest PlayStation Plus prices on the net and have found CDKeys.com has the best prices in both the US and UK today. As we said though, you don’t have to wait for delivery as the code will be emailed to you or accessed via your orders section on CDKeys’ site once you’ve paid. So you can either print off the code or write it into a Christmas card. Be sure to select the correct one from the links below, as PlayStation Plus membership codes are country-specific.
PlayStation Plus memberships can be pricey if you pay full price or accidentally let the auto-renew settings pay for a year as soon as your current sub ends. We can do much better for you here at TechRadar Deals though. This is a fantastic gift idea for anyone you know that may be getting a PS4 or PS4 Pro for Christmas. It’s even a great buy if they already have a sub, as you can stack this on top of an existing one.
Note: the bigger discount is reserved for the UK sub today as you’re saving £8 off the official RRP. Whereas in the US, CDKeys despite boasting a reduction from a ‘$69.99’ original price is actually only a couple of dollars cheaper than the actual MSRP of $59.99 (we assume that’s a typo on the original price on the site) – still, it is cheaper. If you prefer Walmart, you can get a code delivered for $59.99 if you’re looking to gift a code to someone.
We compare PlayStation Plus prices and deals all year, so we know a great set of prices when we see them and we love these ones! Alternatively, we’ve also dug out some great prices on the Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Live Gold subscriptions.
If you’re looking for even more deals before Christmas arrives, we’ve got you covered for phones, laptops, TVs, gaming consoles, iPads and everything in between. Take a look at our other cheap deals. And if you’re in the UK, be sure to check out the best Boxing Day sales and January sales.
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Photo credit: Josiah Bondy
One of the most common accidents for everyday drivers has to do with a shopping mall, parked cars, and your spatial awareness. You edge slowly back out of a spot, but it’s impossible to see around a massive 4×4 truck or a cargo van. You hear the soft crunch of metal. Not good.
In a recent test of the 2019 Subaru Ascent, that scenario is much less likely. This midsize SUV with seating for seven (with one package that has a full second row bench seat, so eight passengers total) is a first for Subaru. It’s bigger than most crossovers, so it’s a little hard to see around corners as you pull out of a parking spot.
Fortunately, there are three different ways to look for cross traffic. The rear-view mirror flips up to reveal a 360-degree smart rear-view mirror, but there’s also a normal back-up camera on the 8.7-inch center console screen and another one that shows up in a third display that’s situated up above the center stack closer to the windshield. If you don’t see cross traffic from one of those three screens, you’re probably not looking at all.
Photo credit: Josiah Bondy
In my tests, it was easy to inspect one of the screens, and particularly the rear-view mirror when it was flipped up into the digital screen mode. Since it uses a camera at the rear of the vehicle and is wide angle, it doesn’t matter if people are sitting behind you. It was much easier to see if a car was driving behind me when pulling out of my driveway as well.
Photo credit: Josiah Bondy
That screen up by the windshield is unique in that you can also use it to monitor other feature son the car. When you’re on the highway, that screen reminds you when EyeSight safety features are enabled for lane-keeping and blind-spot monitoring. It shows a crisp, futuristic-looking render of the Ascent that shows the active radars emanating from the front and rear, so it’s a visual cue that you have those options scanning for traffic.
What I like about all of this is that Subaru is providing extra information to the driver about what is happening as you drive, and especially when you backup out of a parking spot. More is more with automotive tech, because drivers are so distracted — the kids are screaming, your phone is ringing, or there’s a storm brewing and you’re thinking about getting home. In my tests, having three screens meant there was always a place to glance to check for obstacles.
Photo credit: Josiah Bondy
Just as important, I was able to flip the rear-view mirror back to the normal position and disable the screen located by the windshield entirely. This flexibility is handy for situations when you don’t really need to be as vigilant – in a less densely populated area, for example. And, at night, it was better to have fewer glaring screens staring at me.
In the future, we’ll have even more screens at our disposal – possibly too many. The idea is to provide more information to the driver so that he or she knows what is happening at all times and can react, even as the car itself is scanning for problems and alerting you. Of course, when cars drive on their own, we’ll also appreciate that extra level of detail.
On The Road is TechRadar’s regular look at the futuristic tech in today’s hottest cars. John Brandon, a journalist who’s been writing about cars for 12 years, puts a new car and its cutting-edge tech through the paces every week. One goal: To find out which new technologies will lead us to fully driverless cars.
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Amid all the talk of 5G and full fibre networks, it’s perhaps unsurprising that local wireless connectivity has been lost in the shuffle. But Wi-Fi’s role in allowing end users to access the applications that next generation networks will enable should not be underestimated.
Earlier this year, the Wi-Fi Alliance decided to adopt a more consumer-friendly nomenclature, ditching technical standards like ‘Wi-Fi 802.11ac’ for a more generational approach. This means that the next major iteration of the technology – Wi-Fi 802.11ax – will be known as ‘Wi-Fi’ 6.
At Broadband World Forum (BBWF), Rahul Patel, the head of Qualcomm’s Connectivity & Networking business unit, was keen to stress the role of Wi-Fi in powering connected devices around the home and declared there had been a “revival” in home network innovation.
He noted that in 2008 only a third of mobile phones had Wi-Fi, while the technological shift from 802.11b to 802.11n was just starting to occur. Back then, Wi-Fi was still considered a luxury and routers and modems were often sold separately.
Today even cheap feature phones have access to Wi-Fi and it is thought that by 2020, there will be an average of 24 devices in every home. But despite this explosion in demand, wireless connectivity hasn’t advanced at the same rate.
“A decade later and lot has changed within the home,” he said. “TVs use Wi-Fi while Netflix and Amazon Prime are mainstays. There are a lot of IoT devices such as smart speakers – even smart vacuums!”
“Most of the Wi-Fi sourced today is routed through 802.11an. We’ve come a long way in terms of consumption, but Wi-Fi is the same as it was. Today, consumers think cellular is faster than W-Fi and that’s why people don’t turn on Wi-Fi.
“Overall, satisfaction is pretty low. When people start to do more things, connection speeds come down.”
Patel claimed that a third of people think 4G is faster than Wi-Fi but in reality, wireless speeds are often three times faster. The gap between Wi-Fi and cellular is narrowing, however.
A recent study by OpenSignal found that advances in mobile networks meant some countries had faster 4G speeds than Wi-Fi, but the reality is but the reality is that Wi-Fi is a key technology thanks to its low cost and quality indoor coverage.
Patel says it’s not that Wi-Fi technology hasn’t kept up. He believes that Wi-Fi 6 and mesh Wi-Fi can make a real difference. And as more devices are added to the network, such as smart speakers, the stronger these mesh networks become.
“It’s not that Wi-Fi technology hasn’t kept up,” he said. “Wi-Fi is about two or three generations away from what it was ten years ago. Wi-Fi is using now new spectrum in the 60GHz mmWave band and Wi-Fi in the home has moved away from being a single router to a meshed network called mesh Wi-Fi.
“Mesh networking is foundational for smart home connectivity. In the US today, 50 per cent of router purchases are for mesh networking. It is one of the only categories in consumer electronics where [Average Selling Price (ASP)] has gone up. This shows the importance of Wi-Fi as consumers are not willing to compromise.”
When it comes to the Internet of Things (IoT), Patel is adamant that Wi-Fi is just one part of the connectivity story. He said that it is up to carriers and manufacturers to pick the best type of connectivity for each application, whether this is Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee or cellular.
“You call it IoT, but it comes in different flavours,” he said. “The consumer must not be burdened with picking which connectivity as devices can be connected by any of these [standards].”
But the most revolutionary element of Wi-Fi could be its future intelligence. Self-Optimising Networking technology is already employed by mobile operators, but Patel believes smart home networks will use the various elements connected to them to make decisions.
“We also believe that smart home networks have to evolve to become cognitive” he said. That’s not just a network that is smart but is going to learn and make decisions. Some examples have already started to emerge: voice and networks are coming together in a nice way.”
Networks could also start to become physically aware.
“Networks are going to sense,” Patel continued. “There are certain RF characteristics that the body presents. Over time, the networks will learn this and provide a level of decision making about what will go on the network.
“Networks will be able to recognise who is walking into a particular room, whether it’s a pet or a human being, or if someone falls. The mesh network will be able to send for help or detect whether a door is open [and alert the police]. This is way more than the smart home today.
“I think that is something consumers will want.”
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