As we enter 2012 there is a lot of anticipation about the big tech products of the year, one thing is certain it is going to be a brilliant year for tech fans.
Apple, Microsoft and Sony are all expected to make significant announcements this year. With that in mind let’s take a look at what’s in store for 2012.
Mobile Phones
While all the talk is mainly about the iPhone 5 which we’ll get to in a minute, we’re expecting big things from Nokia. The Finnish companies latest release the Lumia 800 struggled to seriously compete with Apple or Samsung but now they have managed to adapt the Windows software we’re expecting some exciting hardware developments. It will be interesting to see how Nokia utilise Windows 8 which is supposed to be tablet and smartphone friendly.
Now we move onto Apple and the most anticipated tech release of the year, the iPhone 5. The rumour mill has gone into overdrive over the last iPhone that will be influenced by Steve Jobs. Experts are claiming it will be thinner, have a larger screen and be 4G and NFC compatible. There is a lot of pressure on Apple to deliver something special after many fans were left disappointed after purchasing the 4S which promised so much but delivered so little. We’re expecting the iPhone 5 to be released this summer.
Sony don’t make up the big 4 in the smartphone market but we’re expecting big things from them in 2012. They have now brought smartphone manufacturing in house and Chairman Howard Stringer has confirmed that from now on Sony will only be making smartphones. We are still awaiting more news on what this means but with Sony’s influence in the music, video game and film industries we’re expecting something special.
Consoles
2012 could easily be named the year of the console since we’re expecting big announcements from Microsoft and Sony. One of the most anticipated releases of the year is the Xbox 720 which is expected to be unveiled at CES this week in Las Vegas and scheduled to be released in early 2013. The new Xbox will focus heavily on Kinect and will no longer use discs with games now launched from the cloud.
That is not the only console release of the year, 2012 should also see the announcement of the Playstation 4. Just like the new Xbox there are hundreds of rumours regarding the PS4 including portable gaming data, more power and backwards compatibility giving games the ability to play and save older releases. It will be exciting to see what other features the PS4 includes especially if Microsoft decided to use the cloud instead of discs.
Alex Smith is an avid technology bloggers with an interest in gadgets as well as cloud computing and Software Asset Management (SAM).
