With more manufacturers jumping on board with smartphones, advanced televisions and a boom in consumer electronics, gadget lovers have a smorgasbord of goodies to keep their technical habit going.
The past 12 months have seen some huge releases, including dozens of tablets, smartphones and some more interesting designs from start-ups keen on making a debut. It’s also seen the emergence of 3D as a mainstream tool, which has kept television manufacturers on their toes.
There’s plenty to choose from. So here’s 10 of the best from the past year – along with 10 more that you should keep an eye on in 2012.
iPhone 4S
It’s become a tradition. Every year, Apple comes out with a new phone, and it usually has a number of new features that make hundreds of people line up in the freezing cold for hours. But this year was a little different – the iPhone 4S was unexpected.
Rumours before the iPhone event earlier this year had indicated Apple would be releasing both an iPhone 5, and the iPhone 4S. Only the latter was released, suggesting a cycle where Apple releases a phone, and then spends the next year tweaking it instead of releasing a completely new model.
So while some were disappointed, the iPhone 4S definitely represents the best iPhone yet. In performance and speed it’s unmatched, and Apple has been able to create a solid new brand with its Siri voice assistant.
It’s not the iPhone 5, but it didn’t need to be – the 4S broke all of its sales records.
Galaxy Nexus
It’s never been a better time to be an Android. One of the platforms greatest weaknesses – fragmentation – is also it’s biggest benefit, with so many handsets now on the market. The Galaxy Nexus is the pinnacle of that.
Powerful, sleek and fast, the Nexus represents the type of smartphones Android is becoming associated with. Not cheaper versions of the iPhone, but fully-fledged phones in their own right.
The Nexus shows that Android is becoming much more sophisticated, and is now a legitimate rival to iOS and other platforms.
3D Television
3D television was a big deal last year, but it’s become a little more mainstream now. As glasses with no charging requirement have been released, 3D becomes more of a fully-fledged feature and less of a gimmick.
With more 3D sets being released, it’s becoming clear the trend is less of a fad and more of a production design component that we’ll start seeing a lot more. And as 3D continues to be made, prices will drop and demand will continue to rise.
iPad 2
Plenty of people missed out on the iPad, saying it lacked too many features and that Apple would just release a second within a year. It did, and the demand was just as high, if not higher.
Although the iPad 2 lacked a higher resolution screen, there’s a lot to like – a thinner design, a faster performance, and a cheaper price. The new smart covers were pretty snazzy too, and despite a number of competitors sneaking up on the first iPad, this release showed the market that Apple more than any other company knew what it was doing.
Motorola Xoom
The Android Honeycomb software really showed off how powerful an Android tablet could be. Although nothing can’t quite hold a candle to the iPad, plenty have come close, and perhaps the Xoom comes closest.
A slightly larger screen, a solid design and some other connectivity features make this a viable Android alternative to those who shy away from Apple. The second version has been released already, and it improves in nearly every way, but this was the surprise at CES that got people thinking maybe an iPad competitor could actually work.
The Nest
That’s right. One of the hottest gadgets of the year is a thermostat.
But this isn’t just any thermostat. No, this gadget is designed by one of the first designers of the classic iPod – Tony Fadell and Matt Rogers.
The device itself is a stylish design that actually starts learning how you like your home heated, and starts maintaining the temperature that you like best. It’s only available in America right now, but is definitely proof ex-Apple employees can keep the quality up after leaving.
Nintendo 3DS
Sales of the Nintendo 3DS have been poor, leading to a massive discount. But being able to produce quality glasses-free 3D is no mean feat, and Nintendo has been able to crack open the development for other companies to follow.
It’s not perfect, but you can play for several hours without straining your eyes – and the 3D actually looks good.
As more gadgets start using glasses-free 3D, like cameras and smartphones, the Nintendo 3DS will have its place in gadget history firmly established.
Samsung Series 9
This year has seen the emergence of ultrabooks – extremely thin, powerful laptops with incredible battery life. You could argue everyone’s copying the MacBook Air, but they’ve become so popular there’s new an entirely new term for them.
The Series 9 laptops are incredibly thin, but most of all, they get a great performance. This is where laptops are heading, as opposed to tablets, which are more passive devices that don’t encourage content creation. Laptops are still about being able to work on the road, and users want more battery life and a faster processor.
Ultrabooks are about making laptops actually portable and powerful, not just chunky and practical. They’re sleek and attractive, and the Samsung Series 9 represents the top of 2011’s pick.
Nikon D3S
If you want a high-end camera, you’ve got a lot of choice but this is the one to buy. A 12.1 megapixel full frame DSLR, it’s the first of Nikon’s high-end to feature video recording in high definition.
Part of the imaging sensor has been redesigned in this model from previous versions, and a lot of improvement has been put into the autofocus as well.
There’s even the capability to process RAW from the camera itself, without the need for a computer.
If you’re a serious photographer, or looking into getting into serious photography, then this is one of the best models to hit the market this year.
JLC Reverso Ultra Thin
Every gadget lover needs a watch, and there are plenty of good ones to choose from this year – but the JLC Reverso Ultra Thin is probably at the top of the pack.
The gadget features a manually wound calibre 822 movement, assembled and decorated by hand. It’s actually an homage to an earlier watch made in the 1930s, and according to some watch afficiandios, a worthy counterpart.
It’s not cheap – a single watch will run nearly $10,000 – but a great piece for any watch lover.
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