Gadgets of 2013: the future is upon us

From Apple iTV to augmented reality glasses, these are the gizmos heading our way next year

Ian Tucker

Models parade in Google Glass augmented reality eyewear at a New York fashion show. Photograph: Edward Le Poulin/Corbis

Phone 5S

As per usual, it is expected that Apple will release an "S" update before moving up an integer.

Possible features? Respected tech industry analyst Peter Misek is predicting it will come with a new "super HD camera/screen, a better battery and NFC [near field communication - used in such things as contactless payment systems]". He also claims that, like the Nano, the phone will be available in six to eight colours.

When can I buy one? Misek suggests that Apple will be speeding up its cycle of launches, so we should expect it in June.

Apple iTV

There has been speculation for some years that Apple would make a land grab for the TV market. Apple CEO Tim Cook recently remarkedthat turning on a TV is like going "backwards in time by 20 or 30 years". That is, like the music and phone industry previously, it's in need of an Apple update.

Possible features? Cult of Mac reported that the TV would feature both Siri and iSight to enable voice and face recognition – iPhones and iPads could also be used to control it.

When can I buy one? Gene Munster (industry analyst) has predictedthat the Apple iTV will be launched in October 2013: "It should cost $1,500-$2,000 and come in sizes from 42 inches to 55 inches." It is likely a UK version would only be released when licensing deals with British TV channels are finalised.

Xbox 720

Microsoft's long-awaited follow-up to the Xbox 360, rumoured to be called the Infinity.

Possible features? Like the Kinect, the console will use motion detection technology and T3 recently revealed that Microsoft had filed a patent concerning projecting augmented reality 3D images on walls, which would require you to wear Wi-Fi-enabled 3D glasses. May also include a Blu-ray drive.

When can I buy one? A Microsoft executive did talk about a "new Xbox" but this statement was quickly withdrawn by the company; however, the company has placed job ads which mention the new console. ABloomberg report says the XBox 720 is likely to be available from autumn 2013.

Amazon phone

The internet giant is said to be adding a phone to its range of Kindle readers.

Possible features? Don't expect any revolutionary hardware, but the software will allow seamless integration between Amazon's Appstore, Amazon MP3, Amazon Cloud Player and Kindle books. In short, it will be more of an multipurpose Amazon revenue-generating device than a phone. As PC Magazine has suggested, it's likely to be cheap. This is because Amazon is expected to subsidise the cost of the handset and the monthly price plan using the revenue from the vast amount of Amazon media, electronics and whatnot you are inevitably going to purchase with it. It is also likely to come pre-loaded with a bar code scanner, which will point out how much cheaper everything is on Amazon. Yes, it does sound pretty Faustian.

When can I buy one? Your pact could start in mid-2013.

Augmented reality glasses

Google and a company called Vuzix are lining up futuristic specs for people who can't bear not to be connected.

Possible features? More of a headset than a pair of spectacles, the Vuzix projects a small colour image in front of your eye, runs the Android operating system and connects via Bluetooth to your phone. The screen could show you text messages, emails or map directions.

What this device's killer app will turn out to be is anyone's guess. It could, for instance, use face recognition to remind you of fellow partygoers' names, their CVs and their latest Facebook status updates and tweets – never be stuck for small talk again! A scary Charlie Brooker-scripted future is heading our way, basically.

When can I buy one? Summer 2013 for under $500. Google Glass isn't expected until 2014.

Nest

A "learning thermostat" designed by two former Apple employees, it has already been described as the "iPhone of thermostats" by Wired.

Possible features? Via Wi-Fi, it connects with your smartphone, allowing you to control your heating whether you're at home or not. Over time it learns your schedule and designs a heating or air-conditioning programme around it. It can detect when you're not at home. And it looks pretty: it glows orange for heating, blue for cooling.

When can I buy one? They're already available in the US for $250 – the manufacturer claims you will claw that back in utility bill savings in two years.

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Five technology trends to watch in 2013:

Five technology trends to watch in 2013

Each year in an effort to keep its finger on the pulse of emerging technologies, the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), comprising over 2,000 tech companies, releases a list of trends for the upcoming calendar year.

The latest list released this week gives tech enthusiasts a preview of what trends experts say will become mainstream in 2013.

Three-dimensional printing, also known as additive manufacturing, is heading straight for the mainstream, CEA analysts say. Common products created via 3D printing include jewelry, figurines and cell phone cases.

Rather than creating a detailed object by sculpting it from materials, computer savvy consumers can create designs online and download them turning them into physical objects, creating them layer by layer.

While the technology has been around for decades, prices are dropping and the CEA predicts the technology will become commonplace in consumers' homes.

There is a potential for future concerns surrounding the creation of counterfeit goods. Current intellectual property laws do not cover items created with a 3D printer, so there may be a grey area for 3D printing and physical replication analysts say.

When it comes to the future of televisions, picture quality is everything. The CEA says TVs offering double the picture quality we see today are just months away from hitting stores, and are just a hint of what is possible in the future.

One option for the future is 4k TV, something John Taylor of LG Electronics describes as "the HDTV experience on steroids". And with four times the resolution of your current set, the CEA predicts the technology will begin to catch on in 2013.

Another popular option is the Organic Light-Emitting Diode, or OLED TV. It has significantly better picture quality than HD sets today plus lower energy consumption.

The challenge facing both of these new, crisper, options lies in getting consumers to switch.

"Most people are going to look at their TVs and say, 'It looks really good and crisp to me. Why do I need four times as many pixels?'" said Chris Chinnock, president of Insight Media, a market research company focused on emerging display technologies.

Thanks in part to the invention of the iPod, the CEA says MP3 players and ear buds created a new standard of how American's listen to music.

The same is now true with premium headphones, championed by the success of rapper Andre "Dr. Dre". Dr. Dre brand headphones promises to deliver studio sound quality to anyone willing to pay the $199-$399 price tag.

Marrying convenient digital music with professional sound quality in a home audio system is just one audio trend CEA sees going mainstream in 2013. But this is not just about the sound; it is also about functionality.

"Modern consumers put a priority on products that are both connected and portable," wrote CEA's Sean Murphy.

For the past 20 years, Africa has lagged behind the rest of the globe when it comes to internet connectivity. Mobile phones have single-handedly leveled out the playing field, a trend the CEA predicts will continue next year.

"Mobile phones (in Africa) are used for absolutely everything and used to the extreme by everyone," says Bruce Krogh, professor of electrical and computer engineering at Carnegie Mellon University.

In the areas of banking, business, and social networking mobile phones have been a game changer for the continent.

"Today, social networking in Africa is used for everything from connecting people with ex-pat family and friends to helping farmers track corn harvests and trade exchange rates," writes CEA's Rachel Horn.

"While the West experiences its own mobile revolution, it must look to Africa for ideas, opportunities and inspiration."

Schoolchildren today have traded their paper notebooks and tablets for electronic versions, and that is only the beginning.

When it comes to technology in the classroom, analysts say it facilitates individualized teaching, where students can learn in the way that best suits them.

"In addition to classroom webpages and online lectures, social media is now heavily utilized by students as well.

"While social media is not a new concept, its usage within the school system is still in the preliminary stages, with fewer than half of adults reporting that their children's schools use this technology," the CEA reports.

Challenges facing technology stem primarily from funding and debates over how much is too much technology in the classroom.

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