Top 10 tech predictions for 2013

Posted on 18 Jan 2013 at 14:52, by Expert Reviews Staff

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We're two weeks into January, so now's the perfect time to look to the future and see what technology will have in store for us in 2013. There's plenty to look forward to, but we've picked out our ten favorites and looked at them in more detail, to see what we can expect and how likely it is we'll be seeing them before New Year's Day 2014.

10. NEW XBOX AND PLAYSTATION CONSOLES ANNOUNCED

Although both are still incredibly popular, the Sony PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 are both looking a bit long in the tooth and graphically being outperformed by PCs. This year is the year where both consoles get replaced and the battle of the consoles commences.
Details of the consoles haven’t been revealed, but there are plenty of rumours out there. They point to the Xbox 720 being announced at the E3 show on June 11th, with a launch later in the year by Christmas. The Sony PS4 is currently rumoured to launch after the Xbox 720, giving Microsoft the lead.

Regardless of which console launches first, there are several things you can expect from both, including high definition graphics; more features to make them living-room friendly, such as media streaming; and much faster processors. If you’re into gaming, 2013 is going to be a great year.

New versions of the two aging consoles, the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, will be announced this year.

9. SMARTPHONES USED FOR EVERYTHING

Everybody always has their smartphone on them, so it makes sense that they’ll be used for even more this year. Apple’s Passbook (a feature of iOS 6 that lets you keep store cards, coupons and tickets on your phone) is set to take off in this country this year, with Virgin Atlantic and Marks and Spencer both signing up to use the service.

Google has a different tactic with Google Wallet, which now has a sign-up page in the UK. Wallet is designed to be an electronic wallet, storing all of our credit and debit cards securely online. With an NFC-enabled phone you’ll be able to pay for goods and services in supported shops without having to carry the physical card.

With smartphone apps to control our homes, home entertainment systems and even cars, the smartphone will be even smarter this year.

Google Wallet has the potential to turn your phone into an electronic wallet, removing the need for individual cards

8. THE YEAR OF DESIRABLE CONVERTIBLES

Tablets are fantastic, and anyone who says they’re only fit for occasional web browsing is a dinosaur with no imagination, but they do have their limits. This year, we’ll see a new range of practical convertible laptops that are fast and connected enough for general PC use and light and efficient enough for tablet use on the move.

As much as we love the desktop, we welcome the rise of the truly portable computer. Anything that marries the convenience of the tablet with the power of the modern laptop is fine by us.

We’d bend over double for a Lenovo Yoga