The 10 greatest gadgets of 2012

 

The world may have not come to an end as Mayan naysayers contended, but the year certainly has. As we move onto 2013 and all the tech to come, we’re taking a look back at the year that was, and the top ten gadgets of the last twelve months. Read on to see what made the cut, and chip in with your thoughts in the comments.

Apple iPad mini

It was slated on launch for its high pricetag compared to seven inch rivals, but Apple’s trimmed down tablet proved its worth with its pure power and premium build. Make no mistake, at some point soon this will soon be the iPad that everyone thinks of as the iPad.

Samsung Galaxy Note 2

It’s rare for a company to invent a whole new category of phone, yet that’s exactly what Samsung’s done with its giant Galaxy Note series. Not only is the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 turbo-charged with fantastic, speedy software, it’s single-handedly resurrected the stylus and put it to good use. Or two-handedly, anyway.

Google Nexus 7

Asus stunned pundits with its low price seven inch Android tablet this summer. Its speedy software puts Amazon’s Kindle Fire efforts to shame, and six months on – a century in tech terms – it’s still the best slate in its class. At £159, it’s a feat of engineering and software married together that’s worthy of Apple.

Humax DTR-1000 YouView

It was almost lost in all the media hubbub about tablets, iCloud and Android, but 2012 also saw the launch of YouView, the Freeview HD service with a twist. It beautifully integrates all your favourite catch-up service right into the EPG, so you can even watch the shows you forgot to record. Seriously classy TV.

Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime

It seems like a lifetime ago, but at the start of the year, Asus was the first to prove that somebody could create a tablet at the same price as an iPad that would actually sell. It was beautiful, thin and scorchingly fast, and regularly and promptly updated by Asus – if you were prepared to shell out for extra it even had a keyboard dock accessory to turn it into a laptop. A year on, the Google Nexus 10 has superseded it, but it was still an awesome tablet tech milestone.

Nintendo Wii U

If you didn’t get a Wii U this Christmas, it was only because it’s as rare as gold dust already. While the new console has its flaws, it’s wonderful to finally see Nintendo’s characters rendered in glorious HD, and it’s clear the Japanese gaming giant is only just getting started: the potential for the GamePad controller is vast. It also marks the start of the next generation of console wars, and we can’t wait to see what Microsoft and Sony are readying in response.

Nokia 808 PureView

Yes, as a phone, the Symbian-powered (or crippled) 808 PureView is awful. But as an example of what camera phones can be capable of, the 41 megapixel sensor around back is nothing short of breathtaking. Stunning detail and amazing low light performance point the way forward for 2013, and we’re already starting to see the tech emerge in Nokia’s more usable Windows Phones, like the Lumia 920.

Samsung Galaxy S3

With the epic, speedy Galaxy S3, Samsung finally arrived. The 4.8-inch beast is every bit the rival to the iPhone 4, especially now you can pick it up with 4G super speed connectivity. It’s a shame that Siri-rival S-Voice is utterly useless, but at least Google’s since filled that void with its own impressive Google Now service.

HTC One X+

One of the true tragedies of tech in 2012 has been the sidelining of HTC. The Taiwanese gadget company’s phones this year were nothing short of beautiful, and the beefed up HTC One X+ made this spring’s One X even better. With up to date Android Jelly Bean, a faster processor and new look, this is one future-proofed phone for design aficionados. Ignore at your peril.

Roku LT

The £49.99 Roku LT might just be the most improved gadget of 2012. Since launch earlier this year, the little HD rival to the Apple TV has been bolstered with extra channels and new services. But with a huge investment from Sky, it’s only going to get better next year: the Now TV channel will soon get sport and drama too, making it the world’s cheapest Sky box.

What were your favourite gadgets of 2012? Did we miss any? Let’s hear your views in the comments below!

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Tech trends: The biggest gadget shake ups of 2012

Time flies, eh? Almost as quickly as the gadget industry moves. As we draw to the end of 2012, we take a look back at the biggest trends of the year, from phablets to touchscreens in the place you’d least expect.

The seven inch tablet comes of age

Seven inch tablets have been around for years, but they didn’t mature until this summer, when Asus unleashed the super fact, super value Nexus 7 on the world. Rivals were quick to follow, with Amazon unleashing the Kindle Fire HD and Barnes & Noble the Nook HD. Even Apple weighed in with its 7.9-inch iPad mini. Make no mistake, this smaller, more portable sized tablet will soon become the standard for slates.

Android finds a size that fits

Apple’s arch rivals figured out something important not too long ago: not everyone likes the iPhone’s small screen size. So why compete? The likes of Samsung and HTC reacted with jumbo phones with screens measuring 4.7 inches across and beyond – and Samsung at least cleaned house with them. We’ve even seen the emergence of a new 5-inch-plus phablet category with the release of Samsung’s hotcake-selling Galaxy Note 2 – expect a slew of imitations to follow from everyone but Apple.

Laptops go touch

Windows 8 arrived in October, and with it a quiet revolution began: soon, you won’t be able to find a single decent new machine that doesn’t sport a touchscreen, from laptop to all-in-one. And why not? It’s just one extra way to interact, and with Windows 8’s huge, finger friendly icons, it’s a useful one too. Even Google is rumoured to be working on a touchscreen Chromebook running Chrome OS. How long before we see the same happen on Mac?

Voice recognition goes mainstream

The Siri voice assistant for iOS got a big update with iOS 6 this summer, bringing it to iPad and iPod touch, and adding some smart new commands. But it wasn’t alone. Google unleashed its new Google Now service in the summer that comes built into every Android 4.1 device: its voice recognition skills are phenomenally accurate and fast (and now also available on iPhone for those who are interested). As we move into 2013, expect voice to become one of the core inputs for tablets and phones.

Filters everywhere

Image sharing network Instagram struck gold this year – literally – when Facebook acquired it in a billion dollar deal in spring. The service, which specialises in providing retro image filters to tart up your camera phone snaps, passed the 100 million user mark, and soon attracted some stuff competition, when Twitter introduced image filters of its own to its mobile apps. Will it be enough? Time will tell.

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Samsung announces Galaxy S3 Mini smartphone

 

 

Samsung has unveiled a smaller version of its Galaxy S3 smartphone, reducing the screen size by 0.8 of an inch to 4 inches, bringing it in line with Apple's iPhone 5.

The handset runs on Jelly Bean, the latest version of Google's Android operating system.

Samsung has not yet shared details of when the device will go on sale.

The announcement comes at a time Apple are expected to launch a 7-inch iPad, although that has yet to be confirmed.

The Galaxy S3 Mini, details of which had been widely leaked prior to Thursday's announcement, comes just six months after the launch of the well-received larger model.

The Mini has a five megapixel camera on its rear, with a lower quality VGA camera on its front.

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Samsung to fix Galaxy S3 search function removal mistake

 

 

Samsung has admitted it made a mistake in releasing a software update that removed a search function from international versions of its flagship smartphone.

The "stability update" disabled the Galaxy S3's ability to search the web, contacts, apps and other on-device material through a single interface.

The move had been thought to be linked to Apple's claim that the innovation infringed one of its US patents.

Samsung said a fix was imminent.

"The most recent software upgrade for the Galaxy S3 in the UK included the inadvertent removal of the universal search function," it said in a statement.

"Samsung will provide the correct software upgrade within the next few days."

Patent dispute

Users who downloaded the update had not been warned that it would remove the advanced search function when the software was installed on GT-i9300 (S3) models available in the UK and other places outside the US.

It appears the firm meant only to prevent some US models from being able to use a Google-powered search tool to show information sourced from within the phone's memory in its results.

Apple has claimed the technology infringed its patent to a unified search interface which it uses in its Siri app to collate results from a range of sources.

The iPhone maker has launched a lawsuit over the matter in the US and had briefly secured a sales ban of another Samsung handset - the Galaxy Nexus - on the basis that the inclusion of the feature threatened "irreparable harm".

A Washington-based court will review the case on 20 August.

Samsung Galaxy S3 faces shipping delays for some models

 

Customers who pre-ordered Samsung's new top-end smartphone face weeks of delays in receiving their handsets.

The South Korean firm signalled that it had faced issues in manufacturing blue models of the Galaxy S3.

Vodafone added that it had also been advised of "shipping delays" to the 32GB version of the white version of the handset.

Available devices went on sale in the UK and 27 other European and Middle Eastern countries earlier.

"Samsung's Galaxy S3 Pebble Blue version comes with a newly invented blue colour and special hyperglaze material," said a statement from the electronics company.

"In order to meet the highest internal quality standards and to provide the best quality Galaxy S3 to customers, a short supply of [the] Pebble Blue version is expected in some regions in the next two to three weeks."

Vodafone - which has an exclusive deal to distribute white 32GB models in the UK for four weeks - noted that it might take up to that period for customers to receive the delayed models.

It added that "all customers who have pre-ordered the marble white 16GB version... should expect to receive their new phone on the UK launch date".

O2, Everything Everywhere and Three also confirmed their customers would be affected by the "shortage of blue" models.

Positive reviews

The Android-based phone is expected to prove highly popular. It features a 4.8 inch (12.2cm) screen, a "natural language user interface" and can track users' eye movements to ensure the screen does not dim while they are looking at it.

The success of its predecessor, the Galaxy S2, helped Samsung overtake Nokia as the world's best-selling phone maker, according to the research firm Strategy Analytics.

Reviews have compared the device favourably with Apple's smaller-screened iPhone.

The Verge declared it a "a technological triumph", although Engadget suggested that HTC's One X had a superior user-interface and design.

Samsung has said it expects the S3 to outsell the S2. It is scheduled for release in 145 countries by July.

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Samsung Galaxy v Apple iPhone - the smartphone duopoly

 

The excitement has been mounting for weeks. Fans have speculated about the precise specifications of the device, the company behind it has been doing everything it can to preserve the mystery and build up the anticipation. Yes, Samsung has learned quite a lot from Apple about the art of hype.

I've been to several major gadget launches - the original iPhone, Sony's PlayStation 3, Microsoft's Xbox Kinect - and last night's unveiling of the Galaxy S3 smartphone in London's Earl's Court may well have been the most over the top and extravagant yet. In the cavernous halls where everyone from Pink Floyd to Madonna has strutted their stuff, thousands gathered to see a rectangular slab of plastic and metal.

Why? Because only one smartphone has challenged - perhaps surpassed - the iPhone in terms of sales, technology and consumer appeal. And the latest version will undoubtedly set the standard for Apple and the rest of the industry to try to match.

For all the extravagant talk of a device which allows you to "live the life extraordinary", the latest Galaxy looks at first sight like any other modern touchscreen phone. It does have a bigger sharper screen than its predecessor, and some clever touches. There's a voice recognition function which seemed in the demo to do everything that Apple's Siri does and more, there's eye-tracking technology which means that the phone goes to sleep when you stop looking at it, and there's NFC (Near Field Communication) built in, allowing users to simply tap each other's phones to share content.

But at its heart is the latest Ice Cream Sandwich version of the Android operating system - and that's on plenty of other impressive phones from the likes of HTC, LG and Sony. Why the new Galaxy matters is that the previous models have established it in consumer minds as the number one Android phone - and in this business, it's increasingly apparent that the winner takes all.

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Samsung Galaxy S3 launches with whopping 4.8-inch screen

 

The Samsung Galaxy S3 has been officially unveiled in London to have a whopping 4.8-inch screen and powered by a quad-core processor set to deliver stunning performance in this Android smartphone. Read on to find out more about what is already being called ‘the smartphone of 2012’!

The Samsung Galaxy S3 is here and we can reveal that it comes with a 4.8-inch Super AMOLED HD display and depending on which model you plumb for will have between 16GB and 64GB of internal memory.

 

Powered by the Exynos 4 Quad processor, it offers incredible CPU and 3D performance while consuming much less power than previous chips. The Samsung Galaxy S3 itself weighs in at 133g and considering the step-up in screen size it’s only 16 per cent larger than its predecessor.

Running Android 4.0.4 you’ll find all the latest software on-board, as well as a host of cool features, such as S-Voice (don’t call it SIRI) and S-Beam, which allows for NFC and WiFi wireless data transfer. You’ll find a pretty standard 8-Megapixel camera on the back, with a 1.9MP front mounted camera suitable for video calls.

The Samsung Galaxy S3 is set to come in two colours to start with, there will be the now standard marble white but it will be joined by a pebble blue, for those who are looking for something a little different.

If storage is your thing then you find that the Samsung Galaxy S3 comes with 50GB of free storage online courtesy of Dropbox. This isn’t for the life of the phone, rather for the first two years, but which time you’re likely to be looking for an upgrade anyhow.

Pricing has yet to be announced but we can expect to see it ship later this month as the likes of O2 and Vodafone are already getting pretty excited about adding the phone to their rosters.

So, what do you think, is the Samsung Galaxy S3 the smartphone you’ve been waiting for? Does it live up to expectations? Let us know your thoughts in the Comments below.

Five for the weekend: From FIFA 12 to the Galaxy S II HD LTE!

It’s been a pretty exciting week for announcements, with some great gadgets and some equally impressive games in the news. From the latest iteration of FIFA, to a smartphone with the sharpest screen yet, there’s a lot to be excited about. Join us after the cut to see the five gadgets we’re the most excited about.




We’ve been looking back through the week’s news, and there are loads of games and gadgets that stand out. We’ve rounded up our favourite five below.



HTC Explorer Not everybody wants a huge smartphone, which is where the HTC Explorer comes in. This compact 3.2-inch handset should offer excellent value for money when it goes on sale later this year, yet you’ll also get the full Android experience. With a smaller than average display, it should also boast an impressive battery life.



Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 Samsung’s mid-sized tablet is set to go on sale in October, and we can’t wait! This compact device looks like being the ideal form factor for a life on the road, proving small and light enough to take with you wherever you go, while offering a stunning display that’s still big enough for web pages or movies.



FIFA 12 Out of all the announcements this week, it’s the launch of FIFA 12 that has us the most excited, and it’s everything we hoped it would be. Much more than just a re-skin, FIFA 12 offers entirely new gameplay, with different ways of tackling and different responses from players. It’ll take some getting used to, but it’s a lot more satisfying.



Samsung Galaxy S II HD LTE It’s been a good week for Samsung, with the South Korean company announcing the launch of its brand new Galaxy S model – the HD LTE. This high-end smartphone features the best display yet, measuring in at 4.5 inches and offering a staggeringly sharp 1280×800-pixel resolution. It’s also packed with features.



Bang and Olufsen Form 2 headphones This week marks the 25th anniversary of Bang and Olufsen’s Form 2 headphones, and the retro cans are still on sale. To celebrate, B&O have launched a host of new colours for the Form 2, making these retro headphones a more stylish option than ever before