First, we wish you all a very happy and prosperous new year. We see a lot of new gadgets every year and 2011 was no exception. So we decided to dig through all the recent tech analysis to bring you our top picks that you can look forward to in 2012. Some of these gadgets have the potential to change the industry in the next few years.
Let’s see what gadget manufacturers have in store for us this year…
Windows 8 Tablets
Forget Android tablets and the iPad, Windows 8 tablets are due to hit the market in 2012. Analysts believe Microsoft’s fresh push into the tablet market may surprise everyone by ultimately proving successful.
Though the software giant has a troubled tablet history, Windows 8 is now being developed from the ground up to run on both desktops and notebooks as well as touch-based tablets. “If Windows is to have any hope, its product strategists must not only bring new features to the platform but also must fundamentally reinvent the experience,” analysts J.P. Gownder and Sarah Rotman Epps say in a Forrester report.
The OS can run on either ARM or x86 processors. Windows 8 will also feature a Metro interface that’s much like Windows Phone 7 for when it’s used on touch devices, with separate Metro apps.
Microsoft is likely to release Windows 8 beta in February and a full software release around June this year. It appears Microsoft is readying Windows 8 tablets to take the world by storm in 2012.
Super-thin Ultrabooks
The world’s greatest tech show is just a week away. Running from 9-13 January, CES 2012 will see the entire tech world descend on Las Vegas. Reportedly, some 50 Ultrabooks are likely to be unveiled at the upcoming event. While there have already been some Ultrabook launches internationally, Intel expects the upcoming Ivy Bridge line of processors to suit the Ultrabooks better.
Ultrabooks are compact and sleek and come with a computing speed that is better than the present laptops. Sandeep Aurora, director of marketing, Intel South Asia, recently said, “Our focus for next few years is going to be on energy efficiency, security and connectivity. Ultrabook as category was launched this year. This will change the face of computing in the next two to three years.”
Aurora said that laptops are expected to be “completely replaced by Ultrabooks by 2013.” He also indicated that business organisations are likely to be the early adopters of Ultrabooks.
Asutek Computer is prepping up a new notebook which will offer combined features of both Ultrabooks and tablet PCs. The upcoming Asus Ultrabook will feature swivel-screen design and come equipped with Windows 8 OS. The device will be announced in partnership with Intel at the upcoming 2012 Computex Taipei event.
Galaxy S III
Samsung will reportedly announce the Galaxy S III at the Mobile World Congress in February. Not much is known about the device other than it will feature a 720p screen, quad-core processor, Ice Cream Sandwich and 3D which will integrate it with enabled TVs. It may even outperform the already stellar Galaxy Nexus.
iPad 3
Selling like hot cakes, Apple’s iPad 2 enjoys an unshaken dominance in the global tablet market. As for the third version of the iPad tablet, the rumours about its launch date are not going to phase out until the device finally makes a public appearance. As per the online reports doing rounds, the iPad 3 is all set to be launched in 24 February 2011, which coincides with the birth anniversary of Steve Jobs.
But given the product cycle Apple adheres to, you can also expect an upgrade to the iconic tablet in March (as was the case in 2011).
It is expected that the new device will come with major upgradation. The possible or rumoured specs of the upcoming iPad 3 may appear something like this. It may become modestly thicker (0.7 mm) to accommodate the twin light bar system needed for its higher-resolution display. Next, the iPad 3 may pack a quad core A6 processor, competing against Nvidia’s much touted Kal-El series.
Reportedly, the upcoming iPad 3 will appear with further improvement with an advanced Retina Display feature to its 25.4-cm (10-inch) screen. It may also come equipped with a 2048×1536 resolution ‘dense’ display. There are possibilities that the new iPad will come integrated with cloud computing via iOS 5. With iPhone getting an 8-megapixel camera, analysts predict that the iPad 3 should pack somewhat similar camera functionality. Also, Siri may sooner or later arrive on the iPad making it a big part of its ecosystem.
PlayStation Vita
With amazing-looking versions of Sony’s games–which include a new Uncharted offering, the Vita is definitely a gamer’s device. It includes a quad-core graphics processor, making even the impressive graphics in the iPad 2 look small-time in comparison. The graphics can shine on the qHD screen, and there are touch controls as well as dual analogue sticks, to keep both hardcore gamers and the Angry Birds crowd happy. The device will ship this year, followed by E3 announcements by all the majors about updated hardware.
Apple TV
And then there’s the Apple TV. Ever since Apple co-founder Steve Jobs was quoted in his biography as saying he finally “cracked” how to fix television, everyone in the industry has been expecting a new Apple TV set to arrive within this year. Gene Munster, a Piper Jaffray analyst, recently said that if you are planning to buy a TV, you may want to wait for some more time as Apple’s HDTV is set to be launched next year.
Addressing the audience at IGNITION: Future of Media conference, Munster said that Apple HDTV would be a full-fledged, standalone, high-definition television. It is expected to come in a range of sizes; seamless integration with your other Apple devices and service will be the key, and you’ll also be able to control it with your iPhone or iPad, or even possibly via Siri.
Aakash 2 aka Ubislate 7+
It’s raining tablets in India and 2012 augurs well for the ‘Desi’ tablet makers in India, suggest recent reports. We have already seen the curtain raiser with the announcement of India’s very own Aakash tablet, the cheapest tablet in the Indian market to date. Now, the competition is all set to heat up with the advent of its upgraded sibling Aakash 2 aka Ubislate 7+. Ubislate 7+ is already up for pre-order and it is expected to hit the market this month itself.
Earlier, Aakash which is a toned down version of Datawind’s own Ubislate 7 tablet, was launched in the Indian market with a reasonable price tag of Rs 2,500. Now, this ‘student version’ is getting upgraded with minor tweaks.
Slated for a late January launch, the UbiSlate 7+ aka upgraded Aakash will be priced at Rs 2,999 with a CoD option.
Reliance 4G Tab
If you have ever wondered what 4G in India will be all about, well here is one coming your way. Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) recently revealed plans to offer high-speed data services on tablets worth Rs 3,500 by the end of 2012. The launch of the device will coincide with the worldwide deployment of an advanced technology that it plans to use.
The company had earlier planned to launch services on data cards by the mid of 2012. These data cards were to be plugged into computers and laptops. According to an ET report, RIL plans to launch tablets at around Rs 3,500 and bundle it with data offering as low as 1 GB at Rs 10–a tenth of the current 3G prices.
It is worth mentioning here that RIL is the only company to have pan-India spectrum to offer wireless broadband services on the 4G technology platform having paid Rs 13,000 crore for these airwaves. RIL had already revealed its plans to launch services based on Qualcomm’s Long Term Evolution, or LTE technology, which is currently in test phase.
Ice Cream Sandwich Tablets
We all know that Google’s tablet-optimised Honeycomb OS shipped with many flaws. Yes, things did get better by version 3.2, but it’s still nowhere near perfect. Luckily, Android 4.0 aka Ice Cream Sandwich is here and will run on both Android phones and tablets. Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime will be one of the first tablets to get the upgrade, followed by many others.
Larger Kindle Fire
Since day one, Amazon was rumoured to be working on two tablets: a 17.8-cm (7-inch) model and a 25.4-cm (10-inch) model. Now that the first one is out, analysts expect a larger version of the Kindle Fire to arrive this year.
Nokia Lumia 900
Even though Nokia struggles with the software glitch in Lumia 800, the Finnish company is prepping up to bring the new device as soon as this month, according to online reports. The press shots of Nokia Lumia 900 leaked on My Nokia Blog reveal that the handset maker has plans to unveil another top-end Windows Phone called Nokia Lumia 900 at the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show (CES).
Nokia is also likely to announce some more smartphones at the event. The specs of the device include a 10.9-cm (4.3-inch) ClearBlack AMOLED display, the new Windows Phone Tango update, a front-facing camera, a 1.4GHz processor and an 8-megapixel rear camera with single LED flash. It is also rumoured to support 4G LTE networks.
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