It is the time of year again, when many of us look back (or forward in this case) and review the big technology trends. In this post I’d like to look at the technology and gadgets that we can to look ahead to in 2013.
As you might expect, Apple features heavily in this post. Even the most loyal Microsoft/PC fanboy can’t help but notice Apple now releases yearly updates to its most important devices - the iPhone and iPad. Rumors of a new iPhone being tested at Apple HQ have already hit the web, and such a device is expected in the middle of this year. A brand new device rumored from Apple in 2013 is the “iWatch”. Whilst this might seem fanciful at first, the giant does possess a very similar device in the iPod Nano (minus the straps), and the various reports seen pretty confident. Finally the Apple TV is the rumor that refuses to go away. Will 2013 be the year we see the company “disrupting” our living rooms, like they did with music and mobile phones?
Back to the world of Microsoft, 2013 is surely make or break for Windows Phone devices. Windows Phone 8 simply has to pick up market share this year, and a raft of powerful (1GB of RAM and Quad core processors) are expected to be unveiled to help fight the good fight. A not so positive rumor circulating the web suggests Nokia may abandon the hardware market altogether and sell its phone making division to Microsoft, leaving it to concentrate on software and services. File that one under “unlikely” until more concrete evidence appears.
2013 is also a big year for Windows 8. It would seem sales are slow, and Microsoft really needs to see an uplift this year in those numbers. A raftof vendors are planning RT devices, which should help this variant of Windows 8 gain some kind of foothold in the marketplace. If ZDNET is to be believed then Microsoft itself will be re-entering the hardware market with a number of new Surface tablets. It took Apple a while to finesse all aspects of the iPad, so Surface versions
2 and 3 could be something really special.
All in all, 2013 is going to be a big year for Microsoft. Windows 8 has got an exciting time ahead of it, assuming people adopt touch interfaces as predicted by many. If you then consider Surface, Windows Phone, Office 2013, and SharePoint 2013 as well - then Microsoft has a lot of hard work and fun ahead of it this year.