Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association study predicts we won’t need cash, cards or passwords by 2030

The wallet is set to go the way of the dinosaur in a matter of years, with new tech meaning Aussies won’t need to carry cards or cash.

Lugging around wallets and keys – and trying to remember all your passwords – could all become history in just five years, new research has found.

Advances in mobile technology mean that by 2030 most Australians won’t need to carry cash or cards, the Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association’s research, A Day In The Life, has predicted.

New tech on the horizon also includes early 6G smartphones, rollable devices eliminating the risk of cracked screens and the new wave of super-apps – all-in-one platforms integrating all services into a single mobile interface.

Early 6G smartphones are on the horizon.

The next stage of mobile technologies will soon become a part of Aussies’ everyday lives and eliminating many daily headaches, the research said.

Passkeys and biometrics will become standard, particularly in banking and telecommunications, and help rule out the need for users to remember multiple passwords. And wearable pay-tech including watches and rings will become the default for many people.

Smart locks and digital keys will become increasingly common for homes and vehicles.

So too will the use of personal smart glasses which will provide navigation, translations and information in daily life.

The study also focused on how new technology such as AI could impact sport, healthcare, and construction.

In sport, an athlete might use smart bedding, fridge sensors and a wearable device that can be analysed by an AI coach to suggest adjustments to diet, training load and sleep.

Using your watch to pay for things will become the default for many people.

AMTA chief executive Louise Hyland said mobile technologies would reshape how Australians live and work every day.

“This technology isn’t just changing lives, it’s changing ­industries,’’ she said.

“Mobility and connectivity are superpowers in sectors like construction, allied health, and elite sport.

“Whether it’s being able to utilise 3D modelling on building sites or an occupational therapist using voice-activated tech so clients can live safely and independently, mobile is at the core.’’

The building industry is ­already embracing new tech.

Vaughans construction project manager Alisha Galea said the use of mobile technology had accelerated over the past few years, from site check-ins moving to QR codes, and with site inductions now done in ­advance.

“It’s going to be interesting to see in five years how changes like AI and virtual ­reality will help make our industry even more efficient,’’ she said.

“We have to keep across the latest technologies or there’s a risk of falling behind with the advantages it presents.”

More than 95 per cent of Australians now own a mobile phone.

Originally published as Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association study predicts we won’t need cash, cards or passwords by 2030