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
Apple iPad
The iPad range has not been refreshed for at nearly a year, with the last iPad in the limelight being the 9.7 inch iPad Pro, simply a smaller version of the 12.9 inch iPad Pro. So, 2017 is the year where it really needs a dramatic overhaul to keep it competitive with Rivals.
As this is Apple we are talking about, so the rumours are not thick on the ground, but we can expect a new processor from the company’s A series range of chips in a quad-core or octa-core layout with said cores split in two sets; one for high power apps and another for less demanding software to balance compute horsepower against battery consumption.
Read More: A visual history of the iPad
A higher resolution display would also be on the cards, with Apple potentially bringing in a third-generation Retina display, perhaps with the lofty 4K resolutions forum in many televisions in the market.
Setting master hardware designer Jony Ive into action, the next iPad will likely feature lightweight materials and complex-sounding manufacturing techniques to make sure the fondle slate is light and easily portable despite housing powerful innards.
We would not be surprised to see Apple refresh its entire iPad range, including boosting the iPad Mini models and potentially amalgamating its iPad Air with the iPad Pro models to streamline its range of tablets and deliver a more focused set of iPads to iOS fans.
Google Pixel 2
The Pixel and its bigger brother the Pixel XL, were both the first smartphones designed from the ground up by Google. While costly and not as feature packed as other premium phones, the flagship smartphones still received critical acclaim and will likely have Google cooking up a second-generation model.
The use of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 821 system-on-a-chip and the debut of the Google Assistant helped make the Pixel phones compelling. So Google will likely want to replicate that success with in its Pixel 2.
We can predict it will feature another top-of-the-line chip, an improves virtual assistant and virtual reality capabilities, but we would hazard a guess that Google may use the Pixel 2 as a means to better bridge the gap between its Android and Chrome operating systems, possibly enabling the Pixel 2 to connect to a smart adapter that in turn connects to an external keyboard, mouse and monitor to turn the smartphone into a new take on the Chromebook.
Apple Watch 3
Now in its second generation, the Apple Watch has changed little from its original design. Given the Apple Watch was one of the more successful smartwatches, that comes as no surprise.
But Apple will no doubt be looking at how it can give the smartwatch a good nip and tuck to make it more functional, more frugal on battery consumption and thinner and lighter.
Given the constraints we doubt the Apple Watch will become a computing powerhouse but it a third iteration will doubtlessly usher in a new version of watchOS, more integration in terms of hardware and software control of third-party apps, and more scope for the wearable to be used in both work and leisure activities.
Windows 10 update
Microsoft’s Insider Preview Builds and Creators Updates for Windows 10 has seen the operating system gain new features and functionality since the advent of the software; and this shows no sign of slowing down in 2017.
But under the careful eye of Satya Nadella and missive of Microsoft to integrate its products and technology together, we can predict updates to Windows 10 that really give the software new levels of functionality, including better Cortana integrations, more adaptable user interfaces to fit all manner of devices, and the use of baked-in machine learning algorithms to surface relevant data for users in a seamless fashion that seems natural rather than mildly intrusive.
We also expect to see Windows spread to Internet of Things (IoT) devices, especially if it is re-worked to run well on ARM based reduced instruction sets rather than traditional x86 architecture from Intel.
