Change is the only constant in the tech world, and many familiar technologies that may disappear in the next two decades are currently part of our daily routine. Just as the VHS tape and the floppy disk vanished into museums and memory, several modern conveniences are on the brink of extinction.

Innovation moves at a breakneck pace. What seems cutting-edge today can become obsolete tomorrow as faster, cheaper, and more efficient alternatives emerge. From the way we pay for groceries to how we charge our devices, the landscape of our daily lives is shifting.

In this article, we will explore eight technologies that are likely to fade away by the mid-2040s. We’ll examine why they are being phased out and what exciting innovations are poised to take their place.

1. Physical Credit Cards and Wallets

The days of carrying a bulky leather wallet stuffed with plastic cards are numbered. Physical credit cards are one of the most prominent technologies that may disappear as digital payment methods become the global standard.

Why They Are Vanishing

  • Rise of Digital Wallets: Services like Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay have made tap-to-pay accessible on smartphones and smartwatches.
  • Biometric Security: Facial recognition and fingerprint scanning offer far greater security than a magnetic stripe or a signature.
  • Global Adoption: In countries like China and India, QR code payments via apps like WeChat and Paytm have already largely replaced physical cards and cash.

According to recent financial trends, cashless transactions are growing exponentially. By 2040, the concept of a “physical card” will likely feel as archaic as writing a check at a grocery store does today. Instead, our identity and financial access will be fully integrated into our personal devices or even biometric IDs.

2. Wired Chargers and Cables

The tangled mess of cords in your drawer is a source of frustration for everyone. Fortunately, wired charging is another example of technologies that may disappear as we move toward a truly wireless future.

The Shift to Wireless

Wireless charging technology has existed for years, but it is finally becoming efficient enough to replace cables entirely.

  • Universal Compatibility: The Qi standard has unified wireless charging across different brands.
  • Long-Range Charging: Emerging technologies are testing “over-the-air” charging, which could power your phone simply by being in the same room as a transmitter, much like Wi-Fi delivers internet.
  • Portless Devices: Manufacturers are already removing headphone jacks. The charging port is likely next, allowing for fully waterproof and more durable device designs.

As battery technology improves and charging infrastructure becomes ubiquitous—embedded in coffee shop tables, car consoles, and office desks—the need to plug in a cable will vanish.

3. Remote Controls

For decades, the remote control has been the scepter of the living room. However, it is quickly becoming one of the technologies that may disappear as smart homes become smarter.

Voice and Gesture Control

The traditional remote with its confusing array of rubber buttons is being replaced by more intuitive interfaces.

  • Voice Assistants: Smart speakers like Alexa and Google Assistant allow users to change channels, adjust volume, and search for movies using natural language.
  • Smartphone Integration: Most streaming devices now have robust mobile apps that offer better keyboards and navigation than a standard remote.
  • AI Automation: Future entertainment systems will likely use AI to predict what you want to watch based on the time of day and who is in the room, removing the need for manual selection entirely.

By 2040, searching under sofa cushions for a plastic brick will be a distant memory.

4. LCD and LED Screens

While they currently dominate the market, LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) and standard LED screens are technologies that may disappear to make way for superior visual experiences.

The OLED and MicroLED Revolution

The future of displays lies in Organic Light Emitting Diodes (OLED) and MicroLEDs.

  • Self-Emitting Light: Unlike LCDs, which require a backlight, OLEDs emit their own light. This allows for perfect blacks and infinite contrast ratios.
  • Flexibility: These new screens can be bent, rolled, and folded. We are already seeing the first generation of foldable phones and rollable TVs.
  • Transparency: Future displays could be transparent glass panels that turn into screens only when needed, integrating seamlessly into windows or mirrors.

As manufacturing costs drop, the bulky, rigid, backlight-dependent screens of today will be replaced by paper-thin, flexible surfaces that can be applied anywhere.

5. Physical Storage Media (Hard Drives and USBs)

Do you remember burning CDs to save data? Just as optical discs are nearly extinct, local physical storage like external hard drives and USB sticks are technologies that may disappear in the coming years.

The Dominance of the Cloud

Cloud computing has fundamentally changed how we handle data.

  • Ubiquitous Connectivity: With the rollout of 5G and the upcoming 6G networks, internet speeds will rival or exceed local transfer speeds.
  • Access Anywhere: Cloud storage allows users to access files from any device, anywhere in the world, eliminating the risk of losing a physical drive.
  • Cost-Effectiveness: Subscription models for massive amounts of storage are becoming cheaper than buying high-capacity physical drives.

While niche professionals (like video editors) might still use local SSDs for extreme speeds, the average consumer will have no need for physical storage devices by 2040.

6. Standalone GPS Devices

There was a time when a Garmin or TomTom unit suction-cupped to the windshield was a status symbol. Today, standalone GPS units are definitely technologies that may disappear.

Integration is Key

Navigation has become a feature, not a product.

  • Smartphone Dominance: Apps like Google Maps, Apple Maps, and Waze offer real-time traffic updates, crowd-sourced hazard warnings, and business information that standalone units cannot match.
  • In-Dash Systems: Modern vehicles come equipped with sophisticated infotainment systems that support Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, mirroring the phone’s superior navigation directly onto the car’s screen.

Unless you are trekking into deep wilderness where satellite connectivity is the only option, the dedicated GPS device has been rendered obsolete by the smartphone in your pocket.

7. Passwords

Cybersecurity experts have long argued that passwords are the weakest link in digital security. They are hard to remember, easy to steal, and annoying to type. Consequently, alphanumeric passwords are technologies that may disappear soon.

The Biometric Takeover

The future of authentication is you.

  • FIDO Standards: Tech giants like Apple, Google, and Microsoft are pushing for “passkeys”—a passwordless sign-in standard.
  • Advanced Biometrics: Beyond simple fingerprints, we will see wider adoption of iris scanning, voice recognition, and even heartbeat rhythm analysis.
  • Multi-Factor Default: Security will rely on a combination of who you are (biometrics) and what you have (a trusted device), rather than what you know (a password).

In 20 years, typing “123456” or “Password123” will hopefully be a joke from a bygone era of poor security.

8. Invasive Medical Testing

Currently, monitoring health often involves needles, blood draws, and uncomfortable procedures. These invasive diagnostic methods are technologies that may disappear as we enter the age of continuous, non-invasive monitoring.

Wearables and Smart Health

The revolution in health tech is putting a medical lab on your wrist.

  • Smart Wearables: Modern smartwatches can already measure blood oxygen, take ECGs, and track sleep stages. Future versions will monitor blood glucose without needles.
  • Smart Toilets and Mirrors: Analyzing waste and skin condition daily in the home could catch diseases early without a doctor’s visit.
  • Breath Analysis: new sensors are being developed to detect diseases like cancer or diabetes simply by analyzing compounds in a person’s breath.

By 2040, the annual check-up with its needles and cold stethoscopes might be replaced by a continuous stream of data from the devices we wear and use every day.

Looking Ahead: Technology’s Next Leap

As these technologies that may disappear fade into history, they open the door for smarter, more seamless, and sustainable solutions. Innovations replace each obsolete device, making daily life more connected, efficient, and convenient—and turning challenges into opportunities for progress.

By embracing what’s next, we prepare for a future where the “new” quickly becomes the normal, and where advances in connectivity, security, and health shape experiences we’ve only begun to imagine. The tools we use today are stepping stones to a world where imagination and innovation set the pace.