A new wave of retro technology is revolutionizing the market place.
The return of the classic Nokia 3310 cell phone has hit home the importance of such a craze. Not only is Nokia jumping on the nostalgia bandwagon but so are vinyl turntable makers, the Freewrite typewriter, Polaroid instant cameras, Casio watches, Atari games consoles, and lots more.
According to the theconversation.com, the revised Nokia 3310 will be a simple device that can only make phone calls, send SMS messages, and play the cult game of Snake, handing total control over to the user.
While, The Telegraph writes that the revised Freewrite typewriter is linked up to Wi-Fi, and can access programs like Dropbox and Google docs via a cloud. Meanwhile, Polaroid has relaunched its instant camera to incorporate upgraded technology with a retro technology look.
Retro Technology era is one option for the user to choose a most friendly device to use. Is this the reason why are leading tech firms moving away from providing customers with the latest smart technology?
The market is big business, not only is the first generation jumping onboard but so are a new, young, and fresh audience looking for autonomy.
The Conversation conducted a study of discussions over eight years to determine why people turn to nostalgia tech, using LP-related forum Vinyl Engine as its subject, looking at why vinyl records have made such a comeback. They captured a total of 222,584 messages written by 193,779 members, comprising about 20 million words for their study.
“They are individuals who like to express a much higher degree of control and interaction than modern technologies would allow them. They are technically competent and sophisticated, and willing to spend quite a bit of money to enjoy using and interacting with the technology,” the conversation writes.
“They appreciate the essence of technology rather than just wanting something to get the job done. In other words, vinyl enthusiasts do not use the turntable technology in the conventional “application-centered” sense – that is, to listen to music. Rather, they use it in a “technology-centered” sense; they chose to use the technology for its own sake.”
“They appreciate the essence of a technology rather than just wanting something to get the job done”
It’s not just vinyl enthusiasts who are preferring this retro technology trend. As technology develops and as we move into a more autonomous world, people are looking for more control over themselves and their technology.
Research has found that retro technology user numbers are increasing, and are not much different from the original user’s tech companies targeted when launching their products in the first place.
“Original users formed a lucrative market segment because they are daring and risk-averse, have access to financial resources, and can deal with complexities embedded in technology,” and this new retro technology audience is the same.
If the rate in which current technological trends upgrade, the market is expected to witness more and more users turning to retro technology to allow themselves more control over what they do and how they organize their lives. As most people strive for smarter technology to do the work for them, there is most definitely a growing market for those looking for more human control and personal interaction.
