As has become a tradition on this website, it’s time for the Tame Geek annual predictions. Last years formula seemed to work (specifics and trends), so we’ll use the same again this time round.
Specifics
Apple:
- Apple will announce the new iPhones on the 8th of September and they will be in stores on the 18th of September.
There will be two main new iPhones, the 6s and the 6s Plus. They will have improved cameras and new A9 processors. Expect some extra magical feature.
I also imagine that there will be a replacement for the 5c. It will be based on the A7 from the 5s and have Touch ID for Apple Pay. It will have a 4 inch screen and possibly a plastic body. This will be the new entry level iPhone. - There will be new iPads in October. Announced on the 13th and in store by the 30th. There will be new A9X processors and very possibly the arrival of a larger one which I expect to be called the iPad Plus.
- iOS 9 Announced in June and OS X 10.11 teased at the WWDC in June and available in September.
- The new MacBooks are a given. A fanless design and possibly a retina display and colour options.
- All desktops will be refreshed with new generation chipsets. There’s a chance of new displays too.
- The Apple Watch may very well launch in February in time for Chinese New Year. If there’s going to be one thing that holds it back, it will be battery life.
Android:
- Samsung are loosing market share, their revenues are halved and the Chinese manufacturers are dominating the developing markets. Their fortunes will not improve unless theres something tremendous coming from them this year. If not, expect their fall to continue.
- HTC made it thought 2014, that was a surprise. Will they make it though 2015 unscathed? To tough to call.
- Lenovo bought Motorola from Google to gain access to an established brand and the minds that have been making some great Android devices. Expect some good sales number and a possible Nexus device towards the end of the year.
Microsoft:
- Windows 10 is coming to unify Microsoft’s software platform and bring a truly integrated software environment. I think this may go a bit ‘ambitious but rubbish’, but we’ve got to see how it pans out.
Trends
The trends of 2014 were wearables, in car entertainment and time-shifting tv. In 2015, those trends will start to find themselves in the public consciousness, thus leaving space for some big trends to look out for in 2015.
Chief amongst theses trends will be 4K video. Recently, Black Friday and Holiday Sales have had some excellent deals on 4K TVs, making them really affordable. Given that there’s due to be a breakthrough with compression technology, 4K capable smartphones will be come common and the streaming services will find a better way of distributing content.
The connected home. The ‘Internet of Things’ as it’s sometimes know, is something that’s not exactly established, but the technology is in such a state of rapid development that it’s infiltration of daily lives without people actively noticing. From LED lightbulbs like the Philips Hue to the Hive and Nest heating systems, consumers will become more comfortable with having more of their life accessible wirelessly.
Super Screens. Display technology has come on a long way in the last 10 years, but there’s something in every science fiction movie that, as of yet, has been sorely missing from the real world. Transparent Displays. There have been prototypes, but the mass market potential has yet to realised. There’s one thing holding this product back and that’s user interface. If a hardware and software company can work together, then transparent technology may very well take off. Screen technology is also closely linked to the 4K point mentioned above.
Online Security. Here’s something we’ve not heard the last of from 2014. There will be more hacks and incursions over the next 12 months and the best thing you can do is proactively take steps to keep yourself safe online.
There you have the specific predictions and the trends for 2015, we’ll see in a year how these pan out.