There used to be a time when you had to make significant tradeoffs between power and portability. That was an ancient time known as the early 2010s. Now, a decade later, the narrowing gap between power and portability means we might be closer to understanding the importance of global tourism.
You can watch my video here or read on.
Shrinkage
2020 was the year most everyone couldn’t travel but tech marched on and brought us a few new eye catching leaps forward. The Sony a7C became the smallest full frame camera on the market with a tiny kit lens to match. Apple’s new M1 chip Macbook Air takes leaps toward the rest of the Macbook lineup. I could go on… but the point is these products aren’t stripped down versions of the full sized thing.
The future of portable gear is a merger with power to become a new branch of electronic evolution.
Versatility Domino Effect
Sony’s a7C is immensely customizable and the M1 Macbook Air has 20 hours of battery life. Plucking out those two features shows that portable doesn’t just mean less, it can also mean more useful. Longer battery life has some obvious advantages but look a bit further and it means you don’t always have to bring chargers or extra batteries along. The domino effect is less time spend in airport security lines. Having a 4K video camera in your phone is a travel movie or moment that’s just that much more accessible.
Refocus From Tools
Ultimately, the less you have to think about what will fit in your backpack or how heavy a lens is or that you’re at 1%, the more useful your electronics become. Your focus is best spent on the places you’ll go, people you’re going to meet, and the world around you. As our tech continues to get smaller yet remain powerful (while coming down in price too) it means more of us will get to share. We’ll get to share in different and more creative ways and tell the stories of the world around us.
There’s a quiet revolution in tech that’s happening right now. In the cross-section is a world that’s potentially smaller, more understanding, and filled with more art from around the world.