Consumers are becoming more comfortable with ideas that once seemed beyond comprehension like having robots in the home and mind-sharing.

In the latest Ericsson ConsumerLab annual report, 40% smartphone users said they would like to use a wearable device to communicate with others directly through thought and believe this will be mainstream by 2020.‎

This shows that new ways to communicate will continue to appear, offering users even more ways to keep in touch with friends and family.‎

In the report titled ‘Ericsson’s 10 Hot Consumer Trends for 2015’, the researchers found that consumers actually want technology and connectivity to be integrated into all facets of daily life.‎

Undoubtedly, the Ericsson ConsumerLab annual report entail good omen for apps developers to leverage on, especially as the global research program and statistically represent the views of 85 million frequent internet users.‎

Michael Björn, head of Research, Ericsson ConsumerLab, said that, “Services and products that quite recently seemed beyond imagination are now easily accepted and believed to rapidly reach the mass market. With only five years until 2020, the future really does seem closer than ever before.”‎

The insights in the report “10 hot consumer trends for 2015 and beyond” mainly come from Ericsson ConsumerLab’s.‎

In a teleconference with IT journalists based in Lagos, Nigeria, Rebecka Cedering Angstrom, senior advisor, Consumer Insights, Ericsson ConsumerLab, gave details of the report which shows, for instance, media use patterns are globalizing.‎

Under the first trend: The streamed future, Angstrom said they found that 2015 will be historic as more people will watch streamed video on a weekly basis than broadcast TV.‎

2.     Helpful homes. Consumers show high interest in having home sensors that alert them to water and electricity issues, or when family members come and go.

3.    Mind sharing. Smartphone owners would like to use a wearable device to communicate with others directly through thought – and believe this will be mainstream by 2020.

4.    Smart citizens. Consumers believe traffic volume maps, energy use comparison apps and real-time water quality checkers will be mainstream by 2020.

5.    The sharing economy. Smartphone owners are open to renting out their spare rooms, household appliances and leisure equipment as it is convenient and can save money.

6.    The digital purse. 80 percent of smartphone owners believe the smartphone will replace their entire purse by 2020.

7.      My information. 56 percent of smartphone owners would like all internet communication to be encrypted.

8.    Longer life. Smartphone owners see cloud-based services of various kinds giving them the potential to live healthier and longer lives.

9.     Domestic robots. Consumers are welcoming the idea of having domestic robots that could help with everyday chores and believe this will be common in households by 2020.

10.     Children connect everything. 46 percent of smartphone owners say that children will expect all objects to be connected when they are older.‎

Ericsson ConsumerLab has close to 20 years’ experience of studying people’s behaviors and values, including the way they act and think about ICT products and services. Ericsson ConsumerLab provides unique insights on market and consumer trends.‎

Ericsson ConsumerLab gains its knowledge through a global consumer research program based on interviews with 100,000 individuals each year, in more than 40 countries and 15 megacities – statistically representing the views of 1.1 billion people.‎

Both quantitative and qualitative methods are used, and hundreds of hours are spent with consumers from different cultures.‎

Ericsson is the driving force behind the Networked Society – a world leader in communications technology and services.‎

Its long-term relationships with every major telecom operator in the world allow people, businesses and societies to fulfill their potential and create a more sustainable future.‎

Ericsson’s services, software and infrastructure – especially in mobility, broadband and the cloud – are enabling the telecom industry and other sectors to do better business, increase efficiency, improve the user experience and capture new opportunities.

With more than 110,000 professionals and customers in 180 countries, we combine global scale with technology and services leadership.‎

It supports networks that connect more than 2.5 billion subscribers. Forty percent of the world’s mobile traffic is carried over Ericsson networks.