Samsung Galaxy S8, iPhone 8 & Return Of Nokia: The Tech Upgrades To Expect In 2017
We predict the major tech upgrades set to debut over the next 12 months
Like death and taxes, gadget upgrade cycles are inevitable; some are so incremental to hardly warrant more than a swift glance, while others change rough diamonds into polished products hewn from industrial design.
The swathe of upgrades on the cards for 2017, seems to be in the latter camp and should usher in technology that will help people work faster and play harder. We have selected ten of the most noteworthy upgrades for your perusal.
Samsung Galaxy S8
The launch of a new Samsung flagship smartphones gains the same furore as an Apple iPhone launch these days, and with the Galaxy S8, Samsung is likely to bring in a phone that should get Android fans frothing at the mouth with desire and excitement,
Rumoured to have display that takes up most of the front of the phone, an artificial intelligence-powered virtual assistant, and rapid Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor, amongst a slew of regular upgrades to its innards, the Galaxy S8 should be much more than just the iterative upgrade the Galaxy S7 was over the seminal Galaxy S6.
More interesting still, it the Galaxy S8 is mostly likely going to be where Samsung debuts the virtual assistant it has been working on to take on Apple’s Siri and the Google Assistant. There are also rumour that the new Galaxy will come with a connector that allows it to be used with a monitor, mouse and keyboard to create a pseudo desktop PC experience in a pocket-sized device, which could evolve how smartphones are used as productivity tools.
Apple iPhone 8 or 7S
Speaking of flagship smartphones, September 2017 will likely usher in a new iPhone. Having released the iPhone 7 in 2016, Apple’s normal convention is to follow it up with an iterative upgrade often with the ‘S’ appendix.
However, it could be argued that Apple’s iPhone 7 failed to offer much over its predecessor, with the 4.7 inch model yet to make the jump to a full HD display while rival phones offer QHD or 2K resolutions. The addition of waterproofing and the removal of the headphone jack may have shaken the iPhone’s feature set up a little, but for people expecting a big shift in the phone’s tech, disappointment was dish of the day.
As such, the next iPhone could be a significant upgrade over its predecessor, offering a sharper display, smarter Siri, and some form of feature that distinguished it from its rivals. That being said, some Apple fans are so committed to the brand than eve if the iPhone’s battery is improved a little, they will snap the premium smartphone up.
Microsoft Surface Pro 5
Microsoft’s Surface tablet come Windows 10 laptop hybrid started out as an appealing concept and evolved into a solid gadget for work and play with the Surface Pro 4; this year we could see its successor.
A Surface Pro 5 would doubtless make use of Intel’s Kaby Lake 7th generation processors to balance power and energy efficiency, which would in turn give scope for the Redmond company to reduce the bulk and weight of its tablet.
While we don’t predict any radical overhauls to the Surface Pro 4, we expect the keyboard cover with be tweaked to be more responsive and pleasurable to type on, as well as an improved stylus, longer battery life and potentially a bigger and sharper resolution display, no that the Surface Pro 4 was any slouch in that department.
We would not be surprised to see the Surface Pro 5 make heavy use USB Type-C ports rather than the older USB 3.0 ports, though we do not believe Microsoft will ‘do an Apple’ and get rid of the classic USB port all together.
