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Making things as small as possible
Since the dawn of the modern technological era, there's been something of an obsession with making things as small as can be. The earliest example of this was the mobile phone. When the first ones came out, they were chunkier than literal phones. However, tech advancements were made to gradually try and shrink the size of this device, while improving the way it functions at the same time. To the point where we had tiny mobile phones that fit in the palm of your hand. The ironic thing with this example is that we seem to have gone in the opposite direction as of late, with smartphones getting bigger and bigger.
Nevertheless, we still see the smallness trend happening throughout the tech world. Drones are perhaps the best focal point right now, seeing as they're a very popular device in modern times. When first released to the market, drones were big and clunky things with loads of attachments. However, as it shows here https://www.drdrone.ca/pages/dji-mini-2, we now have drones like the DJI Mini that are small enough to fit in your hand. The tech inside the drone is better than older drones, yet the entire device is much smaller. You could potentially say the same about earbuds/headphones - nowadays companies are making them as small as possible, to the point where you barely notice them in your ears.
Getting rid of bezels
For those that don't know, bezels are the frames around screens. If you look at the device you're reading this on, you'll notice there's a slight bit of framing around the actual screen itself. Over the years, there's been a mission to get rid of bezels as much as possible. To the point where there are smartphones out there that are almost bezel-less, meaning you are basically holding a screen!
Still, we can see examples of this trend from way back - and it stems from TVs. The first TVs were chunky with tiny screens and massive bezels. Gradually, we ate away at the bezel until we now have ultra-thin bezels on TVs, maximizing the screen space. Ultimately, that's what this trend has been about; getting rid of the framing to make room for larger screens, improving the user experience.
Going as thin as can be
This trend sort of falls in line with the previous one in the hunt to make technological devices more modern. Over time, there has been a tendency to see things get thinner and thinner. Once more, TVs are a perfect example - or any screens, actually. Remember how much depth there used to be to TV or computer screens? Now, they're barely a couple of inches thick, and it makes life so much better for the user. You need less space to accommodate a TV or computer screen nowadays - not to mention they look much better thinned down.
Again, smartphones can be thrown into the mix here too. Certainly, the idea of making phones thinner is a top priority for many manufacturers. The thinner the phone, the easier it is to carry around as it becomes lighter. Laptops are similar - products like the Macbook Air have really set the standard for ultra-thin portable computers.
Making things foldable
There has definitely always been a fascination with inventing devices, then folding them. Drones were mentioned earlier, and they have been adapted so you can fold different parts, making them easier to pack away and carry around. Back in the day, flip phones were super popular as they allowed you to have a small device that could flip out and be functional. Funnily enough, this trend went away in the phone industry for many years, but it's now back yet again!
Similarly, you will find so many tech devices that can be folded in one way or another. Foldable speakers are popular, as are...well...laptops! The laptop is arguably the original foldable gadget, giving you a PC that you can fold and take with you in a bag. Folding things is a popular trend in the industry because people think it adds convenience. When something can be folded, it will always be made into a smaller shape. Therefore, less space is taken up without sacrificing performance.
