From the rumored mini iPad to a new Kindle that can tell you what actor you’re watching in a movie, here are the coolest new devices that are sure to land on your holiday want list.
Five years after Apple released its wildly successful first model iPhone, it’s time for the fifth version of the industry-changing smart phone. Apple is notoriously secretive with its new products, but the blogosphere has been buzzing with rumors and leaking pictures of a bigger screen (4 inches, rather than 3.5), smaller dock connector, and 4G LTE connectivity. Apple is holding an event September 12, presumably to unveil the iPhone 5 (if that’s what it’s called), and it will most likely be released the week after. Until then, nothing is for sure.
Courtesy of Apple
The tech industry often operates on the MO that thinner is better, faster is better and smaller is better. With Apple usually leading the charge, it comes as little surprise that the company could soon be coming out with what is expected to be a 7.85-inch (measured diagonally) iPad mini, rather than another 10-inch version. But the biggest draw? The thinner price tag. There is no definitive evidence to prove that this Apple gadget is next, but leaks from suppliers and Apple-related companies point to a very good chance that something like an iPad mini will be released in October with a price around $250 to $300. Sounds like good insurance to keep Amazon competition from getting a leg up.
Courtesy of Apple
Ushering in the newest generation of tablets that might actually give Apple’s market dominance a run for the money are the just-unveiled products from Amazon (five of them!). The new Amazon Paperwhite, which Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos called “thinner than a magazine, lighter than a paper,” is a new e-reader and costs $119 or $179 for a 3G version. The best part? It promises eight weeks of battery life, even if the light is left on.
Courtesy of Amazon
An updated version of Amazon’s successful tablet will be speedier, with more memory, and a longer-lasting battery. Most impressive: the basic model starts at a mere $159. A new HD line is a little more expensive, but compared to the last iPad’s starting price of $499, it’s an impressive $200 less. It will also be a heavy contender against Apple’s costly data plans—a year of surfing the Internet and downloading apps on the Kindle will only cost $50. Other cool Kindle Fire features include “Immersion Reading,” where the book is narrated by a famous actor and “X-Ray for Movies,” which uses the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) to allow you to tap on the screen while watching a movie to find out the actor’s name.
Courtesy of Amazon
Welcome to the tablet market, Microsoft. The software company is releasing a new operating system on October 26 for both computers and tablets. It’s also coming out with its first tablet at the same time. The Surface has a screen that’s a little larger than the iPad, and two versions will be available: the first with a normal phone-chip, and the other one running on Intel chips with the capacity to run standard Window applications.
Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images
The first product released since Google snapped up Motorola in May, the Droid Razr M could bring the phone maker back to the table as a major player. At only $99.99, the modestly sized smart phone will be a relief for those struggling with oversized screens. It’s 4.3 inches, and runs on Verizon’s super-fast 4G LTE network, and, reviewers are saying, is pretty damn good.
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You’re sinking lower and lower, RIM! BlackBerry’s developers announced last year that a new operating system was in the works, but now they admit that they still aren’t ready to release the latest iteration of what was once the coolest phone on the block. Though it was supposed to be released this fall, RIM pushed it back to early next year. A recently leaked photo shows what could be BlackBerry’s redemption: a keyboard-less touch screen with new apps. Stay posted.
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