A peek into the tech future: most anticipated gadget launches this year

The ‘apocalyptic’ 2012 is raining new launches that will shape our future, as has already been proven at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, which allowed gadgeteers to take a peek through the keyhole and glimpse the technological future. But what it will look like? BR asked some industry pundits.

Otilia Haraga

“We are moving towards portability, connectivity and digitalization. Communication features in social media will remain basically the same, i.e. browsing, mail and socialization, but will be enriched with new applications and better integrated,” representatives of online retailer Koyos.ro tell BR.

This means, as Irinel Burloiu, marketing director at online store eMag.ro, predicts, that the key words will be ‘smart’ and ‘interconnectivity’: “a smart car, refrigerator, a car with direct access to social media, gadgets controlled by mind power or with your eyes,” he outlines.
“This is the consumer side of the future, but ‘smart’ will also be a key feature when it comes to gadgets used in the office, whether at desk or on mobile. Touch sensitive screens, data platforms and applications in the cloud, with access from any point on earth will be important ‘assets’ for companies with mobile workers,” Burloiu adds.

This year, thin, light and connected devices seem to be all the rage. “At this moment, for thin and light devices, ultrabooks seem to be one of the stars of the IT market. This high-performance super thin and light laptop creates new expectations for gadgeteers who need portability and power. More than 50 new ultrabooks will be released this year by various producers,” says the marketing director.

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He adds that “unique features, a great design and marketing will make the difference between present market leaders and future ones.”
Speaking of market leaders, no big changes are waiting around the corner, pundits say. “Apple and Samsung will most likely continue to lead in sales and popularity. We do not foresee – at least not in 2012 – a surprising ‘tables-turned’ situation as 2011 was for Nokia, which lost the position of leader for smartphones,” say Koyos.ro reps.

BR has compiled a list of the most keenly anticipated gadgets of the year. In Romania too, several of these products (some of which were not even showcased at CES) are eagerly awaited. “Romania has sufficient early adopters to follow international trends, not only because part of the population is very ‘fashion-addicted’ but also because the new technologies really bring useful changes which allow people to be more connected, more organized,” say Koyos.ro representatives.

iPad 3
Everybody is holding their breath for the release of the iPad 3, which is rumored to have a full HD display and be slightly slimmer than its predecessor, the iPad 2. Apple is said to be aiming to make the competition tougher by putting an A6 Quad-core Processor in the iPad 3. The gadget will also come with the latest iOS 5, which will host multi-touch gesture technology. Last but not least, the iPad 3 is expected to include the retina display feature and 3D capabilities. Tech experts expect it to be launched in March or even earlier, on Steve Jobs’ birthday on February 24. “The new generation of Apple products is keenly awaited with great interest by consumers and investors alike and this will be a very important year for Apple’s success after Steve Jobs passed away,” says Burloiu, eMag.ro

 iPhone 5
After Apple’s latest launch turned out to be the improved version iPhone 4S, the wait is still on for the iPhone 5, which will be launched without Steve Jobs’ obsessive monitoring. Some experts say that this phone will make or break Apple’s supremacy, even if the company is already being challenged by strong competitors such as Samsung. Regardless, the iPhone 5 is expected to have an even bolder design. Also, even though Jobs was adamant about upgrading to a bigger screen, the iPhone 5 will have a four-inch screen, which means it will be able to compete on an equal footing with many Android devices. It will also be 4G compatible, allegedly. “When talking about smartphones, everybody will most definitely want an iPhone 5 especially for the 4G connection, when it is available in Romania,” say Koyos.ro officials. But 4G has not arrived in Romania yet.

Google tablet
The enduring rivalry between Google and Apple is well known, but now the Android giant has raised the ante with “brutal competition”, announcing it will launch a tablet that will put Apple’s iPad to shame in the first half of 2012. Google officials warned this will be a “very high quality gadget”. It remains to be seen if it will be. “Tablets are another range of products which are raising high expectations for this year: users are very keen to see new tablets running on Android Ice Cream Sandwich,” says Irinel Burloiu of eMag.ro

Samsung Galaxy S3
After striking gold with the Galaxy S2, Samsung is said to be busy at work on its sequel, the smartphone Samsung Galaxy S3. Tech experts expect the gadget to feature a Samsung Exynos 4212 processor at 1.8GHz and an ARM Cortex A9 chip, which will offer a 25 percent performance boost and a 30 percent reduction in power consumption. The Galaxy S3 is expected to run on Google’s latest OS – Android Ice Cream Sandwich. Speculation is that this version of Samsung’s smartphone is being lined up for launch at a similar time to the iPhone 5. “Rumors about the Samsung Galaxy S3 are already in circulation, but they will probably come true towards the end of the year. Previous models caught on very well in Romania,” say Koyos.ro officials.

Sony Xperia Play
A long-awaited smartphone that features real game controls and is PlayStation certified. Includes a Qualcomm Scorpion processor, backlit LCD screen, 5.1 megapixel camera, over 150,000 Android apps, social network integration, stereo speakers, PlayNow service, 8GB of storage, and 1500mAh battery.

Apple HDTV
Steve Jobs had long hoped for the launch of a TV set from Apple, and it is rumored that this will be launched before the 2012 holiday season. The TV will allegedly come in a range of sizes to cater for all tastes. Navigation will be done using an iPad, iPhone or Siri. There was also mention of iTunes, App Store, and iCloud integration in the Apple HDTV. “The newly emerging internet connectivity technologies which allow TV sets to pick up online content will be more and more appreciated on the Romanian market, even more than OLED technologies or movement control and face recognition functions,” say Koyos.ro representatives.

otilia.haraga@business-review.ro