In 2022, a lot happened in the city of tech. There have been new products, companies that have made highs, some impressive lows, acquisitions, and much more. Nearly every month, we’ve seen something happening not only on foreign shores, but also closer to home.
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A: All about Twitter
It may have started as a joke when Elon Musk said, “Maybe you should buy Twitter.” But for the better part of this year, it was just “Will he?” He finally did, and Twitter became Elon Musk’s company. Musk and Twitter ruled his news cycle in 2023 — especially in the last two months.
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B: Disable BGMI
Just when Indian gamers got over their PUBG hangover and took BGMI to heart, the Indian government did spoil sports. The game has been officially banned and remains in the wilderness. So far, no other game has replaced BGMI.
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C: Chat GPT
I’m sure you’ve heard of ChatGPT. If not, an AI-based tool that can shake your head in disbelief and nod in admiration at the same time. ChatGPT could be the beginning of AI becoming a reality. In the past, I was working in the background without much face-to-face time. Expect that to change. For the record: ChatGPT debuted on his November 30th, but in less than a month he’s left a lasting impact in 2022.
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D: Dynamic Island
Thanks to Apple, islands are now officially considered dynamic. The highlight of the 2022 iPhone was the notch replacement. Dynamic Island is a fun take on the smartphone cutout, and Apple pulled it off very well. It was certainly the biggest iPhone buzz of 2022.
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E: Elon Musk
Love him or hate him, you can’t ignore Elon Musk. He is no longer the richest man in the world. Yet, on Twitter, Tesla, and SpaceX, he commanded far more headlines in his 2022 than any other tech CEO.
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F: 5G
After much anticipation, 5G has debuted in India. It’s still early days, but in the last few months of 2022, people in several cities have started getting his 5G service. But the real impact of 5G will really be seen in 2023.
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G: Google’s “murder”
Another year has passed, and many products and services have fallen into Google’s graveyard. Stadia, Duplex on Web, and Hangouts are some of the big names Google has “killed” in his 2022.
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H: Hiring Freeze
Many companies, both large and small, have announced a “hire freeze”, suspending the hiring of new talent. At least he said companies aren’t looking to hire new employees until the first quarter of 2023. Meta, Amazon, Intel, HP, etc. have all had some sort of hiring freeze.
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I: Driving Indian Manufacturing
Covid-19 isn’t gone, but the world has turned around in 2022. Except for China, where a strict lockdown continued. It has had an impact on Chinese manufacturing — albeit only slightly — perhaps leading businesses to look to India as an alternative. India won’t replace China anytime soon.
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J: Geobook
Jio’s first laptop launched without much fanfare. Many people have probably never heard of it. But it was the start of something new as Reliance Jio entered a new category and may expand to other categories in 2023.
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K: Know Cyber Security
Phishing attacks, scams, and hacks are rampant in 2022. That is why knowing cyber security is so important. Take every precaution you can to keep your online data safe.
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L: layoffs
Definitely the L word. As global macroeconomic conditions worsened in 2022, headcount reductions were routine. Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, Intel, Cisco, and Twitter have all laid off thousands of employees. Closer to home, several startups have also laid off employees.
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M: Metaverse
It was supposed to take off in 2022, but it’s still a fantasy. Meta’s big bet has cost them billions of dollars, but the company remains unperturbed. Other companies are still taking small steps, and the Metaverse is a long way from actually becoming something big.
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N: nothing
A brand that stood out in the chaos. Carl Pei’s innovative marketing meant there was unprecedented hype for Nothing’s first smartphone, his Phone(1). And the Nothing Phone (1) was probably his most eye-catching phone of 2022, so it lived up to that expectation.
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O: Another
Actually, it couldn’t be better. Almost after his three-year gap, Apple hosted an event in person in Cupertino. The “one more thing” is his one revelation that delights and surprises people. However, in 2022 there was no “one more”.
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P: pixels
For the first time in four years, Google has introduced a premium mobile phone to India. The Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro have emerged as solid competitors, giving Android users something to consider.
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Q: QLED
TV display technology has also made its way into affordable models. QLED TVs are in very high demand and are expected to grow in 2023.
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R:RCS
Google’s answer to iMessage is Rich Communication Services, a new take on SMS. Google publicly called for his RCS adoption, but to no avail. The ‘split’ of the green and blue bubbles he is likely to continue in 2023.
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S: Super app
Tata Neu was supposed to be one of them, but didn’t really get much traction. However, other apps such as Swiggy, Zomato, and JioMart have all made great strides to become super apps. Elon Musk also wants Twitter to become the one he is.
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T: 10 minutes delivery
It was a fad that really didn’t exist anymore. Blinkit, Instamart all promised delivery within 10 minutes. They used to offer it too, but it’s now much less common and, more importantly, it’s no longer free.
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A: Unicorn
A total of 23 startups have entered the coveted India’s billion dollar club and become unicorns. That number he could increase significantly in 2023.
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V: Verified account
In 2022, Twitter’s Blue Tick Account (or Verified Account) made a lot of news. Expect that to change soon in 2023.
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W: Watch Ultra
Apple’s Watch Ultra is undoubtedly one of the best products of 2022. This marks Apple’s entry into the “Pro” category of smartwatches.
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X: Xiaomi’s “trouble”
Although it may be the market leader in India, Xiaomi has faced many problems. The Indian government has frozen assets worth millions of dollars. There have been law enforcement, income tax department issues — it’s been a pretty nasty year for the Chinese tech giant.
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Y: you
Dear readers, you remain the key to everything that happens in the tech industry. Your data, your time and your money are what matter most to the world’s tech companies.
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Z: Zoma Legends
Zomato Legends was a pretty interesting occurrence in the world of online shipping. Zomato offers next-day delivery of popular dishes in 10 cities.