10 Revolutionary Technology Trends Businesses Must Watch in 2025

The technology landscape is evolving rapidly, with new innovations shaping industries and driving global digital transformation. In 2025, businesses and solution providers will need to adapt to new technology trends if they want to stay one step ahead.

With the most recent findings from ABI Research, this article explores the biggest trends in tech that will define the coming year and beyond. Whether it’s the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into business systems or shakeups in space technologies, these emerging trends will have a lasting impact on industries worldwide.

Download Whitepaper: 66 Must-Know Tech Stats for 2025: Markets on the Rise & Decline

Table of Contents:

1. Smart Rings Enter the Mainstream

Wearable technology is advancing beyond smartwatches. Smart rings are emerging as a lightweight, discreet option for fitness tracking, contactless payments, and even smart home integration. ABI Research predicts a 26% growth rate for smart rings between 2024 and 2029, with shipments projected to hit 70.5 million by the end of our forecast period.

The appeal of smart ring devices lies in their compact design, extended battery life (up to 7 days), and precision tracking due to consistent skin contact. Companies like Oura, Samsung, and Apple are expected to expand the market with premium smart rings focusing on health monitoring and security applications. Meanwhile, budget-friendly options will cater to consumers looking for core features like fitness tracking and mobile payments.

2. AI Integration with No-Display Smart Glasses

The latest trend in Extended Reality (XR) technologies is the introduction of AI-driven no-display smart glasses. Unlike traditional Augmented Reality (AR) glasses, these devices focus on audio input, machine vision, and AI assistants, while keeping costs low.

Riding on the coattails of Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses, this market is expected to grow at an explosive 170% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) through 2029. While display-equipped AR glasses will become more affordable in the future, AI-powered no-display glasses will continue gaining momentum as an entry-level alternative.

3. Mobile Driver’s Licenses (mDLs) Modernize Citizen Credentials

Digital wallets are becoming a standard way to store payment information, and now, mobile Driver’s Licenses (mDLs) are set to follow suit. By 2029, the United States is expected to issue over 69 million mDLs, with a 52.3% CAGR.

Several states are already rolling out pilot programs, with Apple leading the charge in integrating mDLs into its ecosystem. By the end of 2025, nearly half of U.S. states will have either adopted or begun testing digital driver’s licenses. This shift will modernize identity verification and reduce reliance on physical IDs.

4. The Expansion of Humanoid Robots

Humanoid robots are gaining attention across multiple industries, from service and hospitality to healthcare and industrial automation. Despite their current limitations in performing complex tasks as a human would, ABI Research forecasts over 180,000 humanoid robot shipments per year by 2030. That’s up from just 563 shipments expected in 2025.

Lower costs and public curiosity will drive the early adoption of humanoid robots, but the future opportunity lies in industrial applications. Manufacturing and logistics companies are exploring ways to integrate humanoid robots into factory operations to improve efficiency. Before the market reaches its potential, regulatory approvals and Return on Investment (ROI) challenges must be addressed.

Related Insight: Humanoid Robots are a Vehicle for AGI; Teleoperation Creates Partial Viability for Now

5. QR Payments Transform the Digital Economy

In emerging markets, QR payments are revolutionizing transactions by offering merchants low-cost, secure digital payment options. ABI Research forecasts that the global QR payments market will grow at a 16.9% CAGR, reaching nearly US$30 billion by 2030.

Southeast Asia is leading this transformative trend. The region’s digital economy is projected to hit US$2 trillion by 2030, with governments actively standardizing QR payments to ensure seamless, cross-border transactions. By removing the need for expensive Point-of-Sale (POS) terminals, QR payments make digital commerce accessible to small businesses and underbanked populations.

6. GEO Satellites Lose Space to LEO Constellations

The satellite industry is undergoing a shift in terms of which orbits are being used. Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO) satellites are no longer the go-to solution for satellite broadband due to innovations with Low Earth Orbit (LEO) constellations.

ABI Research forecasts that GEO satellites will dwindle from 7.5% of all satellite deployments in 2024 to just 3.2% by 2029. The success of LEO-based networks, such as SpaceX’s Starlink and Amazon’s Project Kuiper, drives this transition. Additionally, developments such as reusable rocket technology and lower costs make LEO satellites more accessible. To stay competitive, GEO satellite providers will need to focus on software-defined networking and enhanced flexibility to adapt to market demands.

7. Demand Surges for Secure Microcontroller Units (MCUs)

The Internet of Things (IoT) is fueling demand for secure MCUs that provide embedded security features for connected devices. ABI Research estimates the secure MCU market will reach US$6.7 billion by 2028.

A key driver of this growth is the Trusted Execution Environment (TEE), which enables multiple secure applications to run on a single chipset. This technology is critical for secure firmware updates, ensuring long-term device security in industrial and consumer IoT applications.

8. Wi-Fi 6E on the Downfall

Wi-Fi 6E had a brief moment of relevance, but is already becoming obsolete. ABI Research expects shipments of Wi-Fi 6E devices to decline in 2025 and beyond.

Wi-Fi 6E was always an intermediary step toward Wi-Fi 7. Now that Wi-Fi 7 hardware is available at a marginally higher price than Wi-Fi 6E, customers requiring a 6 Gigahertz (GHz) spectrum will jump straight to the former standard. Concurrently, cost-sensitive customers who do not require the 6 GHz spectrum will choose the cheaper Wi-Fi 6 hardware.

The lack of a strong value proposition for Wi-Fi 6E, combined with the rapid adoption of Wi-Fi 7, has led many manufacturers to phase out support for the standard. Businesses investing in networking infrastructure should skip Wi-Fi 6E and focus on future-proofing with Wi-Fi 7.

9. Green Hydrogen Costs Are Falling

Sustainable energy is a core focus for industrial sectors like manufacturing and oil & gas. A promising technology being explored for decarbonization is green hydrogen. Investment in green hydrogen has been nascent due to high costs, but market conditions are making it more accessible to businesses. ABI Research anticipates green hydrogen production costs to drop from US$6.00 per Kilogram (kg) in 2024 to US$2.90 per kg by 2029.

Technological advancements in electrolyzers, coupled with government incentives, will make green hydrogen a more viable alternative in 2025. Companies like ITM Power, Plug Power, SunGreenH2, PERIC, LONGi, and Siemens Energy are driving these advancements.

10. Industrial Blockchain Faces a Decline

While blockchain technology has seen success in financial markets, its role in industrial applications has been less promising. ABI Research expects a -1.9% CAGR decline for industrial blockchain between 2023 and 2029.

There are two main hurdles to industrial blockchain adoption:

• Alternative Technologies: Other technologies like private networks and confidential computing offer similar benefits without requiring a complete system overhaul.
• Uncertainty About Quantum-Safe Capabilities: Industrial organizations question whether industrial blockchain will safeguard against quantum threats in the future. Blockchain users require long-term device security, so industrial companies question how seamless the transition to Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) algorithms will be.

Keeping an Eye on the Future of Technology

These technology trends will shape industries and redefine how businesses operate for years or even decades to come. While some technologies inch closer to demise, new ones are rising from the ashes. New opportunities are presented with technological advancements, enabling businesses to reach previously unimaginable heights.

From ABI Research’s perspective, we share these developments to support technology vendors in optimally planning their product portfolios. Our market intelligence also informs businesses of which technologies are available to them and which ones are bound to be leveraged by their competitors. To stay ahead, companies must adapt to these changes and invest in the right technologies for long-term success.

Want to further explore these trends in tech? Download ABI Research’s whitepaper, 66 Must-Know Tech Stats for 2025: Markets on the Rise & Decline.