How Will RFID Tags and Readers Improve Over the Next Twenty Years?

Just kidding.

Tags will likely become smaller and less expensive, due to rising volumes, which create economies of scale. They will also become increasingly more sensitive, which will mean they'll be able to be read at greater distances, or through thicker materials. And they will have additional features, such as encryption.

As for readers, they'll become more sensitive, able to detect faint signals from tags located far away, or embedded in dense materials. They will get smaller and come in a variety of form factors designed for specific applications. So, for example, there will be models that can be embedded in relatively small products (such as a coffee maker, to detect packets of coffee grounds). Readers will also support a much greater array of features, including encryption.