12 Electronics Expected To Plummet in Value by the End of 2025
Written by
J. Arky
Edited by
Rebekah Evans
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In the year 2024 who amongst us is not deeply attached to our technology? From cell phones to personal commuters to AI headsets — all of us are plugged in and connected through electronics. However, — despite inflation — not all of these electronics will be worth the same amount of money by this time next year. In fact, some are forecasted to drop significantly in value within 15 months.
GOBankingRates asked several tech experts about the twelve electronics expected to plummet in value by the end of 2025. Here are the products that said are predicted to short circuit.
Expensive Gaming Laptops
The gaming revolution continues as gamers start ditching their pricey laptops for an advanced upgrade that is also affordable.
“With powerful specifications and sleek designs, luxury gaming laptops are currently valued at their highest,” said Michael Collins, tech expert and owner of Sphere IT. “However, this will change as cloud gaming becomes more popular and prices begin to drop.”
Fancy hardware will be less of a necessity when companies like NVIDIA and Google advocate for the greater use of cloud gaming, Collins said.
Drones
If you look up in the sky — it’s not a bird, it’s not a plane and it’s soon not going to be the price of a drone.
“While currently popular for aerial photography and videography, the value of consumer drone cameras will likely decrease as regulatory restrictions tighten and smartphone camera stabilization improves, making them less appealing for casual users,” said Chris Bourne, tech expert and CEO of Pumex.
Smart Speakers
Alexa, look out. You might not be worth what you once were by 2025.
“Smart speakers such as Amazon Echo or Google Home may be all the rage right now, but their worth will decrease once smarter home devices with more features flood into the market,” Collins said.
“Currently, the Samsung SmartThings Hub is an important device for connecting different smart home appliances,” Bourne explained. “But soon, as more devices get direct compatibility with leading voice assistants, there will be less need for such a hub which will lead to a decrease in its value.”
“Prices on these gadgets will fall due to integration with other systems in your house becoming easier plus competition rising among different brands,” Collins said.
Standalone VR Headsets
You might have wanted a VR headset for Christmas last year, but by next year, they will seem like an Atari.
“Right now, stand-alone VR headsets like Oculus Quest are hot sellers but rapid advances made towards AR tech might soon make them irrelevant since most people prefer using their smartphones which have integrated AR capabilities instead of owning separate expensive devices solely meant for virtual reality experiences,” Collins said.
Bluetooth Speakers
While popular now, the market is becoming oversaturated with too many Bluetooth speakers and ones trying to imitate the original, according to Bourne.
“As integrated audio systems in smart home devices and improvements in multi-room audio technology advance, standalone Bluetooth speakers will see a decline in value,” Bourne said.
Fitness Trackers
Every year there seems to be new trends and fads in the fitness world. By 2026, trackers are expected to definitely be cut out of the digital diet.
“Standalone fitness trackers won’t hold up against smartwatches that do everything better including tracking workouts,” Collins said. “Because consumers want one device that does it all rather than several gadgets each serving a single purpose. So, expect prices on those things to plummet when they become unpopular among buyers who realize how much money they could save just buying an Apple Watch instead.”
External Hard Drives
Where do you store your most important digital files and data? Come 2025, it probably won’t be on an external hard drive.
“Demand is decreasing for physical external hard drives since cloud storage solutions provide better convenience and security than ever before while external hard drives would eventually fade away as cheaper options become available through increased usage of low-cost online servers,” Bourne said.
High-End DSLR Cameras
“Although high-end DSLRs remain sought after by professional photographers today due largely to their superior image quality compared with mobile phones’ cameras nowadays this gap is slowly closing fast,” Collins explained.
Collins said this is thanks, in part, to how many brands now produce cheaper models suitable even for casual users who don’t want to spend thousands dollars anymore.
What Collins believed consumers are looking for in the future is the ability to “capture stunning photos while traveling light without carrying around bulky camera bags everywhere.”
Digital Photo Frames
While never the most popular of new age devices, digital photo frames are about to have one last cycle before getting the boot from the electronics market.
Bourne explained that currently “digital photo frames only cater towards niche luxury markets but standalone digital photo frames may become obsolete when multifunctional capabilities offered by Google’s and Amazon’s smart displays take over these functionalities making prices fall downwards accordingly.”
E-Readers
Books in paperform are not making a comeback, but their iteration in the form of e-readers might be taking a hit in value come 2025.
“E-readers like Kindles are losing value due to stiff competition from multifunctional tablets,” Collins said. “With more affordable options available that can do everything a Kindle does plus more — like surf the web or play games — e-readers won’t last much longer before they’re completely obsolete.”
Portable Power Banks
You might be carrying around an extra battery to juice up your personal device in 2024. However, by the time 2025 comes around, you might be cutting the cord on these power banks.
“With improvements made in smartphone battery technology coupled with wireless charging becoming common, the need for portable power banks will decline thus causing them to lose significant amounts of money,” Bourne said.
Wireless Earbuds
“The dominance of brands such as Apple AirPods is about to decline rapidly because there’s no shortage of cheap substitutes out there offering similar if not better quality sound at half price point,” Collins said.
In Collin’s professional opinion, this “means even rich kids will start looking elsewhere once they realize how ridiculous it sounds paying premium.”
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