Now that we have two months of the new year under our belts, it’s time to look out to the remaining ten months to see what areas of technology are going to have the biggest impacts on our lives. 

Before we look forward, let’s look back to the end of 2022 and see the trends that were forming and how they will affect our world in 2023. 

From a hardware perspective, it was an unexciting year. Both Apple and Samsung refreshed their flagship smartphones, but most reviewers rated the changes as incremental upgrades. Mark Zuckerberg, with his eyes on changing the way people work, introduced a $1,500 virtual-reality headset. But, with only a two-hour battery, most users will strap the new headset on for gaming.

From the online world, we saw huge changes at Twitter after Elon Musk spent $44 billion to buy the company. In the last few months, he has gutted the staff, suspended accounts for some journalists and reinstated several questionable users. All of this had driven Twitter users to seek alternative sites. Another social media company, TikTok, has been banned on government-issued devices at both the federal level and in several states.

Finally, in November, OpenAI introduced a chatbot called ChatGPT. In the first month of its availability, the online AI tool registered more than one million users. Given that is can produce seemingly intelligent responses to questions posed by users. Unfortunately, it can produce totally incorrect responses and couch those responses in wording that appears authoritative. 

This is just a taste of what's in store for us in the upcoming year. Together with the same trends that have persisted over the past few years, like developments in electric cars and the metaverse, we can anticipate many intriguing innovations in A.I.-powered, language-processing technology. Social media might even have a resurgence.

Here are the tech developments that will invade our lives in 2023.

1.New Embedded AI Assistants. Early adopters who were astounded by ChatGPT's verbal proficiency were equally astounded by how inaccurate it can be, especially with basic mathematics. Despite their flaws, it is reasonable to expect that software developers, led by Microsoft, will embed AI technology within familiar apps like Word, Excel, Google Sheets, Craft and others. It's important to note that many of the tasks these new AI modules will tackle will be summaries with a particular interest point in mind. 

Here’s an example. You’re writing a research paper on warfare and you have come across a 100-page essay on World War II. Imagine asking the AI tool to read the full document and highlight the key points regarding a certain facet of the war.

Yoav Shoham, a professor emeritus at Stanford University who contributes to the AI Index, an annual assessment on the development of artificial intelligence, said: "If you want to supplement your writing with a historical fact, you won't need to go and search the web and locate it. With just the click of a button, it'll be there."

2. Virtual reality, a.k.a. the metaverse. Tech firms have been advertising virtual reality headgear for gaming for most of the last decade, including the Quest 2, HTC Vive, and Sony PlayStation VR. Tech companies are making grand claims that these headsets will eventually transform our lives similarly to what smartphones have done so now that technology has advanced to become more potent and wireless.

One person who envisions the metaverse as a place where we may work, collaborate, and create is Mark Zuckerberg of Meta. The business thought the technology could be used as a multitasking tool for employees juggling meetings while skimming through emails and other duties when it unveiled the Quest Pro headgear this year. It remains to be seen whether Meta can realize its vision for the metaverse, given that the device's initial reception was unfavorable.

The VR drumbeat will continue in 2023. It is widely believed that Apple will unveil its first headgear, despite having previously stated that it would never use the term "metaverse." Apple's CEO, Tim Cook, has provided hints about the device even though the business has released no information about it. Cook has expressed his excitement about employing augmented reality to use digital data in the real world.

“You’ll wonder how you lived your life without augmented reality, just like today you wonder: How did people like me grow up without the internet?” Mr. Cook said in September to students in Naples.

Yet, he continued, the technology will not suddenly become significant. The first version of Apple's headgear will probably be used for gaming, just like many others before it, as wireless headsets continue to be large and only used inside.

In other words, 2023 will probably still not be the year that these headsets become widely used, according to Carolina Milanesi, a consumer tech analyst for the research firm Creative Strategies. However, there will be plenty of talk about the metaverse and virtual, augmented, and mixed goggles.

“From a consumer perspective, it’s still very uncertain what you’re spending your thousand bucks on when you’re buying a headset,” she said. “Do I have to do a meeting with V.R.? With or without legs, it’s not a necessity.”

3.Electric Vehicles Beyond Tesla. Last year, Tesla continued to dominate the market for electric vehicles (EVs), but 2023 might mark a turning point for the sector. Since Mr. Musk's takeover of Twitter, Tesla's shares have fallen precipitously this year, and its reputation has suffered. The market's competitiveness is also escalating as EV manufacturers, including Ford Motor, Kia, General Motors, Audi, and Rivian, increase their output of electric vehicles.

Tesla also declared in November that it would allow other electric vehicles to use its charging port design. That would make it possible for owners of other makes of vehicles to refuel at Tesla's charging stations, which are much more numerous than other kinds of chargers.

Also, sales of gas-powered cars will be prohibited in both California and New York by 2035. All of this creates the ideal conditions for the electric car market to grow significantly beyond just one brand in 2023.

4.New Social Media Choices. Most of 2022 saw Twitter in disarray, and 2023 is expected to be no different. Last month, in reaction to the criticism, Mr. Musk conducted a Twitter "poll" asking his fans if they thought he should step down as the company's CEO. Ten million users, or a majority, chose yes, but Mr. Musk said he wouldn't leave until someone "foolish enough to do the job" was found.

TikTok is still in trouble after its Chinese parent firm, ByteDance, revealed that an internal probe had revealed that staff members had improperly collected user data from American users, including that of two journalists. The information puts pressure on the Biden administration to think about imposing even stricter limitations on the app in the US.

Whatever happens to Twitter and TikTok, it's certain that social media is undergoing a significant change. A social network called Mastodon, which resembles Twitter in appearance, has attracted many journalists, techies, and influencers. Yet many younger people have already switched to more recent apps like BeReal, where pals can keep in touch by simultaneously taking and sharing selfies.
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Which new social networking app will be a huge deal in 2023 is a mystery. Mastodon has lost about 30% of the million users they gained because of changes at Twitter. Yet, one thing is for certain: Those who are offended by Twitter are looking for a friendly environment where they can hang around.

We bought our first home in late 1968. We watched it being built and even installed sound cables in the walls before they dry-walled, so we’d have a sound system for the whole home. Those days were called ‘container days.’ Contractors erected the container and left the homeowner to finish the rest. 

Now, 45 years later, the sector is being upended by smart home technology, creating a large market opportunity for investors, entrepreneurs, designers, and builders. The smart home industry, which was estimated to be worth $79 billion in 2020, is expected to increase to $314 billion by 2027, according to recent research from Mordor Intelligence.

Consumer curiosity is being sparked by ideas like touchless interactions and energy-saving whole-home automation. With new government efficiency standards demanding the replacement or modification of current systems, automated heating and cooling will be in high demand. All residential central air-source heat pump systems sold in the United States starting in January 2023 must adhere to new minimum energy efficiency standards.

This smart home movement focuses on enhancing the experience of living in the home, from automating appliances that anticipate and comprehend the homeowner's demands to programming devices to act consistently. Grandview Research's forecast of an excellent 31% compound annual growth rate between 2021 and 2030 for smart kitchens and security and surveillance technology installations.

Consider PIN-activated keyless door locks or smart doorbells that are always aware of visitors (or deliveries) arriving. Automated exterior lighting and AI-powered public space video cameras that monitor neighborhood activity will be in demand for multi-family developments.

Because the smart home industry has developed over the last five years and is ready to transition from "do it yourself" to "do it for me," there is a huge market opportunity. Consumers will probably start looking for pre-built homes with tailored technology more frequently. According to a Coldwell Banker Real Estate survey, 61% of millennials and 59% of parents with children living in the home choose smart-tech homes, while 71% of purchasers desire a tech-enabled, "move-in ready" home.

New artificial intelligence (AI) technology that automatically changes ambience routines to meet resident patterns and preferences makes this possible. Thermal windows that conserve energy improve a house's overall efficiency. Each smart home's devices are programmed to cooperate with one another and connect to a centralized home management app that is very easy to use and administer. Such systems receive routine cloud updates, and all hardware is dispersed across the home's primary hub. Technology seamlessly merges into the building's simple interior design.

With most software solutions available via the cloud, second-generation AI-powered smart home equipment self-learns and adapts to routines and preferences, getting better over time. All devices are coordinated and synced in the smart home setup, and they are all made accessible via a computer or a smartphone. A smart home with a genius Intellect, perhaps.

Designers and builders must rethink household space in light of increasing urban density and environmental sustainability. Compared to older homes, the modern urban home uses space more effectively, is more flexible, and is more responsive. It is cozy and friendly. The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant influence that shouldn't be understated, since it confirmed long-held notions that the home can and should improve the health and wellbeing of its occupants.

A multi-family neighborhood outside of Portland's center dubbed HOMMA HAUS Mount Tabor, with 18 two-bedroom residences, is a pioneering prototype. This type of house must have an adaptable modern design, multi-functional use of space, and curated, pre-configured technology built in before the resident occupies the area. This sort of house should serve as the cornerstone of holistic well-being for its residents.

Urban areas that are expanding, like Portland, tend to have residents who value a deep relationship with environment and routinely engage in outdoor activities. Innovations like this one make use of organic-feeling materials that foster a sense of kinship with nature. The environment is improved by thoughtfully chosen oak flooring, Corian kitchen counters, and cedar fencing. Bamboo and tree landscaping produces shade and further reduces noise to keep the residences quiet.

Real estate will place more emphasis on striking a balance between protecting residents' privacy and fostering a sense of community. This is made possible by clever technology working in tandem with well-planned communal areas. Contemporary housing projects frequently contain courtyards that provide a good blend of quiet space and communal gathering area.
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Urban living that is holistic and adaptable will be the industry's driving force as it develops. Modern architecture, design, and technology are blended into one product, the home, which is constructed to bring beauty, comfort, and wellbeing. Astute builders will do this. Investors, CEOs of large corporations, and startup founders should monitor these developments and be prepared to seize the opportunities they will bring about.

Your phone probably has a built-in hotspot feature that enables you to share your internet connection with other devices, regardless of whether you use an iPhone or an Android smartphone.

It's a nice function, but if you use it frequently, a separate mobile hotspot router will probably serve you better.

During my working career, I traveled over 4 million miles and over half of that travel was on trips where I relied on a mobile hotspot router for my Internet connection.

In my first years using a mobile hotspot router, I used hardware from a variety of manufacturers. But, within a couple of years, I had focused on Netgear and have used their routers ever since.

The newest device from Netgear is the Nighthawk M6 Pro and it’s the top hotspot router on the market today. It is important to note that the M6 Pro is only available on the AT&T network in the US. The M6 model is still a superb router and can come unlocked to be used with any telecom vendor.

At this point, you must be asking why? Why have this expensive peripheral when its functionality is bundled already into my smartphone?

It's because mobile hotspot routers are more adaptable and filled with cool capabilities.

First, I use my phone for a variety of purposes throughout the day and don't want to tie it up with always providing the Internet to gadgets. It is inconvenient and severely drains the battery. Two years ago, my wife and I decided to ‘cut the cord’ and get rid of our landline. Now, my smartphone is our primary contact number and I want it always available. The only thing my mobile hot spot router has to do is connect the Internet to all of my accompanying devices.

The Nighthawk M6 and M6 Pro can connect up to 32 devices to the Internet by using the built-in battery to fill up to 2,000 square feet of space with high-speed Wi-Fi for up to 13 hours using the available 5G & 4G LTE networks. If you need more power, connect it to a power bank or other USB charger that’s available.

If your smartphone doesn't have an unlimited data plan, controlling your internet consumption on your phone is crucial. Setting up a separate plan just for data with a cellular carrier for your mobile hotspot router will eliminate those overage costs on your phone’s plan. And in those situations where your device can take advantage of an Ethernet connection, this mobile hotspot router can provide that Ethernet port.

The Nighthawk M6 and M6 Pro's ability to capture cellular signals is also impressive. These mobile routers perform better and had a stronger signal than my iPhone 14 Pro, which makes them a wonderful option for signal-poor locations. In those situations where there appears to be a poor cellular signal, you can connect an external antenna to the TS-9 ports of the router.

Another feature of the M6 and M6 Pro is its ability to provide Internet service even at home. The mobile router can connect directly to your network and allow you to switch over to cellular should your main Internet connection go down.
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Finally, when you need Internet connections at a campsite, remote construction site or even an emergency scene, use your mobile hotspot router to create a bubble of Wi-Fi service wherever you are. The router will also create a QR code on its display so any smartphone can easily connect to the service with its camera.
Once you’ve used one, you’ll find it really hard to go back to using your smartphone’s hotspot feature.

Laptops have come of age in the last few years. Their processing power and memory have increased to where they can rival most desktop computers. The only problem is that they are made to be thin and portable and there are few ports to support peripherals. There are a lot of connection docks out on the market for both windows-based and Apple laptops. Today I want to share one that, while it's pricier than many, is not only a quality product but delivers on making your laptop into a desktop unit.

Sandberg now has a USB-C All-in-1 docking station that I think stands apart from its competition. First is its design. It is made to fit under the back of your laptop, providing an ergonomic tilt to the keyboard and conserving the limited space you have (think airline fold-down tables.) It also helps if your laptop is running hot by allowing better airflow.
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Here are the specifications:

• Aluminum construction, 11.6 ounces, 10.6” X 2.9” X .8”
• 1 x USB-C (power supporting up to 100W), 1 x HDMI, 1 Mini DisplayPort, 1 x VGA female, 3 x USB 3.0 A, 1 x RJ45, 1 x audio output, 1 x security lock slot
• 1 x SD card reader slot supporting SD/SDHC/SDXC/MMC
• Micro SD/TF card reader slot
• RJ45 connector supporting 10/100/1000 Mbps Ethernet
• 3.5mm audio jack supporting audio sample rate at 192KHz/24bit
• HDMI Resolution up to max 4K/2K @ 30Hz (1920 x 1080P @ 60Hz)
• DisplayPort resolution up to 4K/2K @ 30Hz (1920 x 1080P @ 60Hz)
• VGA resolution up to 1920 x 1080P @ 60Hz
• Supports simultaneous output at DisplayPort+HDMI and DisplayPort+VGA
• Automatic recognition of monitor type, resolution, and features

Regardless of the business you work for, networking is a key skill for success. But in the contemporary environment we live in, creating and distributing business cards doesn't really make sense.

An alternative that is more environmentally friendly is a new electronic card called the Linq card that digitally sends your contact information to someone else's phone. 

The Linq business card looks exactly like a standard business card, but it has a significant difference: it can instantly share your contact information with others by tapping it on a smartphone.

The card makes use of a near-field communication (NFC) chip, the same technology that powers regular activities like using your smartphone to make in-store purchases, to enable the tap-sharing feature. Most devices have NFC reading capabilities, but if the person you want to share with doesn't have NFC, you can still easily share your information by having them scan the QR code on the back of the card.

The Linq profile is displayed once the person taps the card or scans the QR code. When you first activate your card, the Linq app prompts you to create your unique profile. The best feature is how customizable it is—from the design of your bio page to the social media platforms and links that are displayed, right down to the reference profile picture and even an included video.

If you meet regularly with new businesses and individuals, they offer an option for you to save the contact information on those with whom you share your information. The recipient has the option to add your contact information automatically to their default messaging app when it is scanned.

The traditional white card is the least expensive option in terms of price, coming in at $12 on Linq’s website; prices rise as you choose different color options, finishes and additional custom features.
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Regardless of age, these cards make wonderful stocking stuffers or presents for everyone who works.

New chips are being released by Amazon.com Inc.'s cloud computing division to power the most advanced computing, supporting tasks like gene sequencing and weather forecasting.

The largest provider of cloud computing, Amazon Web Services (AWS), announced recently that it will allow users to rent processing capacity that uses a new generation of its Graviton chips. The product, according to Peter DeSantis, senior vice president and manager of most of AWS' technical teams, is a platform for expanding access to high-performance computing.

The newest chip is Amazon's most recent push to produce more of the hardware for its large data centers that power AWS. Making its own chips, according to Amazon, will provide clients access to more powerful computers at a lower cost than they could by renting time on processors made by companies like Intel Corp., Nvidia Corp., or Advanced Micro Devices Inc. These businesses, which are also some of AWS's biggest suppliers, are now in direct competition with it because of the new chips. According to DeSantis, the chipmakers are still "excellent partners," and AWS intends to keep providing high-performance computing services based on their chips.

To kick-start its in-house chip designs, which initially were concentrated on basic computing activities like serving as the foundation for websites, AWS bought chipmaker Annapurna Labs in 2015. The high-performance computing initiative, which was unveiled at the opening of the AWS re:Invent trade conference, aims to show that Amazon's proprietary technology can compete head-to-head with chips from leading manufacturers.

The Inferentia chip, which is made to make deductions from enormous volumes of data, has undergone an update, according to AWS Chief Executive Officer Adam Selipsky, who made the announcement the second day of the re:Invent conference. According to Amazon, Inferentia2 handles larger data sets than its predecessor, making it possible to perform tasks like software-generated graphics or speech recognition and interpretation.

Among the most sophisticated systems powered by cutting-edge semiconductors are computers that forecast weather patterns and simulate the aerodynamics of race cars. Usually, enterprises, government agencies, and academic institutions have created pricey computer systems in their own data centers using components from Intel, Nvidia, and AMD.

According to DeSantis, the Graviton3E, the most recent model in AWS's line of Graviton processors, will be twice as capable as earlier models in one category of calculations used by high-performance computers. When combined with other AWS technology, the new offering will be 20% better than the previous one. Amazon didn't say when services based on the new chip would be available.
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“The reason that high-performance computing isn’t big is it’s hard,” DeSantis said. “It’s hard to get capacity, it’s hard to get time on that supercomputer. What we’re excited about is bringing the capabilities of high-performance computing to more workloads.”

There is a device from a small company named Edge that could be that standout stocking stuffer for that special someone who works from home or a deserving college student. The EDGE® Kit attaches to the back of any device with a suction cup. A variety of devices can then be attached to the swing-out arm: a light for online conferencing, a smartphone to add a second screen to the work mix or a wireless Qi charger for the side of your desktop’s monitor.

Attach a Phone. Most users will attach the EDGE® Kit to their display monitor. It's attached with a suction cup on one side of its bending arm. Watch that podcast or a movie from the side of your monitor, or put the Kit on top of the screen and use your phone as a camera for video conferencing.

Wireless Charging. The EDGE® Kit includes a wireless Qi charging coil that’s compatible with iPhone MagSafe devices (iPhone 8 and above) or any Android device that supports wireless charging. You can also kill two birds at once by putting the phone on the charger and then watching that movie or podcast!

The speed record for data transmission using only one light source and an optical chip has been shattered. 1.84 petabits per second (Pbit/s), or nearly twice the volume of all internet traffic per second, was the blazing rate at which engineers transported data. The team published their findings in the journal Nature Photonics.

It's difficult to emphasize how quickly 1.84 Pbit/s actually is. If you're lucky, you might get a 1-gigabit or 10-gigabit connection at home, but 1 petabit is equal to one million gigabits. Your average home internet connection receives a few hundred megabits per second. The new chip is 20 times quicker than the forthcoming ESnet6 update to the scientific network used by organizations like NASA.

The fact that this new speed record was achieved with only one light source and one optical device is even more amazing. Infrared laser light is split into hundreds of various frequencies, or colors, by a device known as a frequency comb. Data can then be encoded into the light by modulating the amplitude, phase and polarization of each of these frequencies, before recombining them into one beam and transmitting it through optical fiber.

The Technical University of Denmark (DTU) and Chalmers University of Technology researchers used the system in experiments to transport data at 1.84 Pbit/s, encoded in 223 wavelength channels, down an optical fiber with 37 distinct cores that was just under 5 miles long. This system could manage the whole bandwidth of the internet, which is predicted to be just around 1 Pbit/s, at once and still have capacity for expansion.

Historically, the first big test was in mid-2020 when a similar photonic chip managed a transmission of 44 terabits per sec (Tbit/s). That record was broken this past May at a speed of 1.02 Pbit/s.

According to the team behind the new microprocessor, though, smashing records is far from over. Using a computer model, the researchers predict the device will eventually be able to transmit data at eye-watering speeds of up to 100 Pbit/s.
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“The reason for this is that our solution is scalable—both in terms of creating many frequencies and in terms of splitting the frequency comb into many spatial copies and then optically amplifying them, and using them as parallel sources with which we can transmit data,” said Professor Leif Katsuo Oxenløwe, lead author of the study. “Although the comb copies must be amplified, we do not lose the qualities of the comb, which we utilize for spectrally efficient data transmission.”

When you travel, unless you are proficient in the native language, you are at a disadvantage. In this newsletter, we have covered five different translation devices starting back with Issue 2-50 in 2016. So I was a little skeptical of another tech device that is the international traveler’s best friend. But the Indiegogo-funded NEWYES Scan Reader Pen 3 has so many other uses that I couldn’t ignore it.

The device supports 9 UI languages, 55 OCR languages, 112 text translation languages, and 112 voice translation languages. You can scan written material, record your voice or someone else’s voice and translate that voice into any of a 112 languages. If you use the OCR scan, you can either read the text in another language or hear it pronounced orally. This means that not just translators can benefit from the device. Second-language learners can use it to get professional pronunciations of difficult words and use it to help with memorizing coursework. While scanning text, it recognizes up to 3,000 characters per minute and has a 0.3-second translation speed with up to 98% accuracy.

Individuals with dyslexia can use the device to read materials to them so they hear the material. When your child is eager to read independently but always comes across new words, the Scan Reader Pen 3 can help with both the pronunciation and the definition of the word.

The device also has a built-in dictionary. You can even save audio to listen to or view a translation later. Transfer your audio files directly to your Mac or PC via a USB port. It also supports Bluetooth, so you could connect your earbuds and listen in private.
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The company produced a YouTube video showing how the device works. The NEWYES Scan Reader Pen 3 is available for $159 from Amazon.

For years, each cellphone included a tiny smart card called a SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) that contained the “identity” of that device so that it could connect to a specific cellular network.

Data on SIM cards includes user identification, location, and phone number, network authorization information, personal security keys, contact lists, and saved text messages.

When Apple introduced the new iPhone 14, they repeated something they had done years before. They removed a piece of hardware from the phone. First, it was the earphone jack and now it was the removable SIM card and tray. Just like the earphone jack, Apple is touting this change as a boon for consumers. Now, all iPhone 14s sold in the US will use eSIM technology.

"I think it's transformational," Ahmed Khattak, founder and CEO of US Mobile, a mobile virtual network operator that offers service on Verizon and T-Mobile's respective networks. "I think the fact that it even happened ... I'm shaking my head ... because it really democratizes connectivity." 

A type of programmable SIM card known as an eSIM (embedded-SIM) consists of software put onto a chip permanently installed in a device, as opposed to an integrated circuit on a releasable universal integrated circuit card, which is commonly constructed of PVC.
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Once an eSIM carrier profile has been installed, it operates the same as a physical SIM, complete with a unique integrated circuit card identifier (ICCID) and network authentication key generated by the carrier.
So, why is this change so important? For users, there are three advantages to eSIMs over physical SIM cards:
     •  It’s more secure, because no one can remove it from the phone and use it to intercept phone calls or text messages. (This isn’t the most common form of SIM card hijacking, but it is still possible for someone with physical access to the phone.)
     •  Switching carriers is easier, because you don’t have to wait for a SIM card to arrive or pick one up at a store.
    •  Adding extra lines is easier, because you no longer need a phone with dual SIM card trays. (On the iPhone, Apple supports up to two phone numbers and eight data lines with eSIM.)

An eSIM also benefits phone manufacturers and wireless carriers.
    • By getting rid of the SIM tray, Apple will gain more valuable interior space it can use to install more technology.
     • For carriers, it's a money-saver because they no longer must spend between $10-$20 per physical SIM card.

Like almost every change, there are going to be some growing pains. Not all US carriers are eSIM compatible. Some alternative providers that lease capacity from the major carriers–known as Mobile Virtual Network Operators, or MVNOs, in industry jargon–don’t support eSIM today, which means you can’t use an iPhone 14 on their networks. Some notable examples include Ting, Walmart Mobile, US Mobile, Net10, and Tello.

Conversely, there are small carriers like Mint Mobile, US Mobile and Boost Mobile in the US who have been preparing for this change for some time.
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"Mint has always believed in digital technologies that enhance and ease wireless services," Aron North, Mint Mobile's chief marketing officer, said in a statement. "Mint has been supporting [the] eSIM for almost two years because we knew, even back then, this innovation would allow users to switch faster and easier."