I have been keenly watching the development of a few key industry players making further breakthroughs in the fast growing smart gadget marketplace. Allow me to share some thoughts on a few of these devices to watch out for and much information is based on rumors around the Internet and the analysis of technology trends.
I am particularly impressed with Samsung’s Galaxy line of smart phones. The one I look forward to is the Galaxy S4 which Samsung official’s say will be announced soon. This much touted device is expected to have a larger screen than the S3 but the anticipation of a thinner and lighter technology for AMOLED is expected to be incorporated which does not use glass. Samsung has gone far in their R&D in this area, even to the point of developing prototype foldable screens which we can expect in future Galaxy S series.
The other device is by Apple. As usual, the rumor mill is now rife with “leaks” of a 4.8-inch iPhone. If Apple announces this by the middle of the year, it will bring Apple to the forefront again with the competitive screen size with Retina display. There is a lot of expectation on improvements to the aesthetic side of the device.
One cannot help but be constantly surprised by other players like Nexus, LG and Nokia coming out with their leader devices. Somehow, they still do not strike a major chord of interest at this time because the devices appear out-of-place in their categories. Maybe Google’s Nexus new phone can make the cut and it stands out because of the price.
If you are thinking of getting a MacBook Air, it will be interesting to see announcements of new products by Apple to use the Retina display as a standard in this line. The future is in SSD, high resolution display, latest CPU and GPU, together with light weight and long battery life. You can bet on Apple to give us something at the middle of this year on the refresh of MacBook Air line.
Lastly, we must not forget Microsoft. Word has it that the Surface Pro will be hitting the stores soon in US and Canada but the price seems rather prohibitive. We now see all PC and Notebook players bring out Windows 8 devices to the market. I am particularly impressed with Samsung and Asus in their ultrabooks giving Apple’s MacBook Air a run for the money.
Samsung and Asus have managed to produce high quality, light weight Windows 8 ultrabooks that provides the user with a touchscreen as well. In fact, some of the products can operate like a tablet and attach to a keyboard dock to act like a notebook. Interaction includes touchscreen, touchpad and even a mouse. The best of tablet and notebook and can do all you want as a standard notebook on Windows applications. This is what we are all waiting for. And Apple has to learn this from Microsoft.
These are some devices that you can place your bets on in the coming months ahead. 2013 brings us a lot of innovations in mobile devices – smart phones/phablets and ultra portable notebooks/tablets.
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