Top 10 tech predictions for 2013

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

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7. OLED TO TAKE OFF

Organic LED (OLED) technology is incredible. Rather than requiring a backlight, as with LCD technology, each pixel is self illuminating, meaning incredible contrast, thinner screens and lower power consumption.

While we’ve seen the technology in relatively small displays, such as in the Samsung Galaxy S3, this year promises bigger and better screens. In fact, the LG 55in OLED TV has already gone on sale, proving that the technology is ready for the living room.

What’s holding big displays back at the moment is cost, with large displays costing a small fortune. However, while we may not be rushing out to by OLED TVs this year, we wouldn’t rule out an OLED tablet at reasonable prices.

LG’s 55in OLED TV might be expensive, but it shows how far the display technology has come.

6.ELECTRIC CARS HIT THE MAINSTREAM

It's no longer all about the Knightsbridge-bound G-Wiz or the amazing but expensive and impractical Tesla Roadster. 2013 is the year electric cars finally become a viable transport choice for Britain's suburbanites.

It all started with the Nissan Leaf, which seats four, drives like a normal car and has a 100-mile range - enough for almost all daily driving. The big drawback is the £26,000 price.

This is all about to change as more and more manufacturers jump on the electric milk wagon. The Renault Zoe is now available to pre-order for just £13,650 on the road (with a little help from a Government incentive scheme) plus £70 a month for battery hire. This puts it firmly in mainstream compact car territory, and for that you get an 84mph electric runaround with a 95-mile range.

BMW also has a compact hatch in the pipeline with the i3, and if a family hatchback's too boring for you, why not check out the car the Sinclair C5 should have been - the bonkers Renault Twizy. 2013 is the year electric cars well and truly bury their joke past.

5. 4G GETS BIGGER - BUT IT'S STILL EXPENSIVE

OFCOM is preparing the 4G spectrum auction, which will decide who gets to broadcast super-fast LTE mobile broadband signals across the UK, to kick off later this month. Once the dust has settled, Everything Everywhere will finally get some competition and customers will have much more choice when it comes to signing up for a 4G contract.

Your download speeds will go up - but so will your bills

However, just because there's more choice, don't expect prices to come tumbling down. We expect 4G contracts to carry a significant price premium over current 3G contracts, with customers paying between £5 and £10 more no matter which network provider they choose. After all, the frequency auction won't be cheap and the networks will then have to roll out their equipment - the only way they can recoup those costs is from their customers.