Most anticipated tech items of 2015: top 10

When I talk about next year, I usually think about the most anticipated tech items of 2015 because that’s what makes me excited about current developments and upcoming breakthroughs. While I do love all kinds of gadgets, phones comes most in handy and they are the dominating items in my top ten most anticipated tech items of 2015 list. 2014 marked the emergence of an even stronger smartphone culture that is increasingly influencing the way we choose to live our lives.

With the advancements in technology and implicitly in smartphone technology, we have high expectations from 2015 and we’ve already laid eyes on some of the new items that companies would be lining up as their flagships next year. Even though I’ve a thing for smartphones, the flagships of the future aren’t alone among the most anticipated tech items of 2015. Wearable technology has also seen a boom this year, with the Moto 360 and LG G Watch R, as well as as with the Samsung Gear S and the still unreleased Apple Watch. If we’re to be honest, wearable technology isn’t yet popular as a product, but it is certainly popular as a concept and as a device that would help out in our future.

That being said, you might already have an idea about what kind of items I would include in the most anticipated tech items of 2015 list. We’ve seen smartphones like the HTC One M8, LG G3, iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, Galaxy Note 4, Sharp Aquos Crystal and Galaxy S6 take their toll on the headlines, with people hyping on about the new features and design elements that they liked or disliked. Now, we’ve already begun dissecting their predecessors and people are voicing what they would like to see in the flagships of 2015. While some of you might want 3D mapping technology as seen in Google’s Project Tango, that feature will probably be left out of the configuration of the upcoming flagships, but things like a flexible or hanging display are surely technologies that we will see gaining momentum in 2015. Enough with the small talk, let’s see what the most anticipated tech items of 2015 are.

10. Apple Watch

The Apple Watch should be launched in the first half of 2015 and should come as a brand new iteration of a wearable device from Apple. Tim Cook demoed the Apple Watch at the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus launch event, and we were pretty intrigued by the proprietary OS the watch will be using as well as the many watch designs and straps that it will come with. Since it is an Apple Product, the device that was dubbed the iWatch all through the year until the unveiling event is already among the most anticipated tech items of 2015. Apple and co. tend to create a lot of hype around their products because we’ve been used to seeing high-quality gadgets roll out their factories. Two interesting features in the Apple Watch are the “Crown”, which is the button on the side that will be used for scrolling, zooming and panning and the new app suites from Apple, including HealthKit, HomeKit and of course, the mobile payment platform called Apple Pay.

9. Sony SmartBand

We’ve been following the Sony Entertainment hack events and the latest leaked emails talk about the placement of the Sony Xperia Z4 in the new James Bond movie entitled Spectre. How does the Sony SmartBand come in here? In the emails that leaked concept images of the upcoming flagship, Sony executives attached a few concept images of a new wristband that should be popping up at the FCC or at some other leaker soon. We’ve been pretty impressed with the Sony SmartBand Talk and its 3G capabilities, so we are looking forward to see what the company has in mind for 2015. While the SmartBand isn’t as hyped as the Apple Watch, I would certainly advise putting it on your own most anticipated tech items of 2015 list, because I have a feeling Sony is fed up with tailing other companies and will blast on the wearable market with something truly innovative.

8. Bendable, flexible smartphone displays

While we could have put this item on the most anticipated tech items of 2014 list, too, companies are getting closer and closer to developing a truly flexible smartphone display that would allow you to fold your phone and contort in various shapes. One of the hurdles of creating such a display is incorporating a battery, which tends to be as sturdy and solid as possible. Nonetheless, both Samsung and LG are working on bendable graphene batteries that could supply enough juice for a phablet and would provide for the flexibility a high-tech display would need. Even though the development of these batteries is still in its early stages, we wouldn’t be surprised to see some sort of solution to make a bendable display. We’re fairly sure about this since Samsung has announced that it would start mass-production of a flexible, bendable display next year.

7. OnePlus Two

The flagship killer was big news this year and rumors has it that the company behind the OnePlus One is going to be making a successor to the phone. People are getting excited about the OnePlus Two already, even though we have no confirmation about the device, since many are hoping for the same type of great bang for buck. The flagship killer is a cheap smartphone that you can get for $300 or $350 depending on storage and it bears specs similar to flagships like the Galaxy S5 or HTC One M8. The OnePlus Two merits to be on the most anticipated tech items of 2015 list because many are hoping that OnePlus opening stores in China and India will give the company the boost that it needs to abandon the infamous invite-system for the upcoming smartphone so that everybody can get their hands on the device.

6. Sony Xperia Z4, Xperia Z4 Compact and Xperia Z4 Ultra

The company behind the best waterproof smartphone and tablet launched this year, the Xperia Z3 and Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact, will surely be launching successors to their newly released products at IFA Berlin 2014 and even though Sony doesn’t have a great history with U.S. smartphone releases, many are hoping they would mend their marketing strategy and improve their product design so that they would be able to release great phones and tablets in 2015 for the U.S. market. The Xperia Z4 has been leaked in the emails I’ve mentioned when talking about the new Sony SmartBand, and it should make an appearance in James Bond Spectre next year. Even though these leaks suggest a release date for the Xperia Z4 between May and November 2015, sources say the handset should still be unveiled at CES 2015 in January. The three smartphones in the Xperia line we already know about are the basic Xperia Z4 and the Compact and Ultra versions, the first being a smaller design while the latter being a phablet. Definitely watch out for these devices, as they are quickly becoming the most anticipated tech items of 2015.

5. HTC One M9 Hima

Many were very impressed with what HTC did with the One M8 and even the One E8, so it’s natural that we would be excited about a successor. The HTC One M9 dubbed Hima should be released at MWC 2015 in March, and leaks about the new handset are already pouring in. We should see a bigger display, BoomSound or even better, a lot of power under the hood with the Snapdragon 810 CPU as well as Android 5.0 Lollipop with a brand new Sense 7 UI. The aluminium unibody that people liked on the One M8 should definitely make an appearance on the upcoming flagship, but rumors say that HTC will sweeten the deal like it did with the One E8, releasing another cheaper variant of Hima next year. At the same time, we are definitely prepped to see a Windows version of the flagship, too, as the One M8 for Windows turned out to do very well on the market.

4. Samsung Galaxy S6

Samsung’s upcoming flagship should be amazing, if we’re to listen to the hundreds of rumors and leaks online. Truth is, the Galaxy S6 and the rumored Galaxy S6 Edge might actually be the most anticipated tech items of 2015 when thinking about smartphones. The Galaxy S5 was a bit of a flop this year, people criticizing the heavy TouchWiz skin and the cheap plastic chassis of the device with the band-aid back panel. Since Samsung already decided to mend the design situation, we’ve already seen smartphones like the Galaxy Alpha and the Galaxy Note 4 with metal frames being launched this Fall to great reviews. Aside from the hefty and unwarranted price of the Galaxy Alpha, the Note 4 as well as the new Galaxy A line inspired by the Galaxy Alpha managed to gain some popularity among metal fans and Samsung fans as well. The Galaxy S6 might come in two or more variants, with different chipsets and specs and an Edge-version which would be similar to this year’s limited edition Galaxy Note Edge with a hanging display on the side of the phone.

3. LG G4 

LG’s flagship for 2014, the LG G3 managed to become one of the greatest smartphones of the year, as it comes with a high quality QHD panel, great processing power, acceptable battery life and a smooth design that manages to keep the phone affordable, yet lend it a more premium feel than we’ve had with the Galaxy S5. The LG G4 isn’t as hyped as the Galaxy S6, mostly because seeing a metal design on the upcoming flagship is not that exciting as it is when we’re thinking about the Galaxy S6 and what an upgrade it would be compared to its predecessor. The LG G3 is an exceptionally good smartphone and LG would have to think of something great to make us wonder at the LG G4. Rumor has it that we will be surprised by an even better display, with 4K resolution even. What’s more interesting is that LG should be striving for a bezelless smartphone, as we’ve seen its displays being demoed at various shows and conferences this year. While the Sharp Aquos Crystal and Crystal X are currently the “bezelless” smartphones, the LG G4 might be next in line.

2. iPhone 7/iPhone 6S

Yes, we know, it’s soon, yet rumors about Apple releasing a new iPhone 7 in Spring or Fall the latest next year are already heating up. The iPhone 6 Plus was an unexpected launch in September, many being skeptical at first as to why Apple would release such a huge smartphone. but record sales of the device proved that the phablet-trend is picking up and Tim Cook jumped into it just at the right time. The iPhone 7 and/or the iPhone 6S are already among the most anticipated tech items of 2015 and hype is still building around them. While we don’t even know for sure if Apple will be releasing a successor to the 6 and 6 Plus, our bet is on yes. Rumors say we will be seeing a similar double release next year, with a smaller and larger version of the iPhone 7, but more interesting is the fact that the new handset should come with a better design, virtual/augmented reality, dual-lens camera setup, high resolution and even a flexible display. Whatever the case may be, we are curious to see what the company has in store for us next year.

1. iPad Pro

Yet another Apple product that tops the list of the most anticipated tech items of 2015, the upcoming iPad Pro. Even though the Cupertino-based company has just released the iPad Air 2 to positive reviews, we’ve heard that the iPad Pro is already in the works and it should appear on store shelves  between April and June 2015. The massive slate should sport a 12.2 or even a 12.9 inch high-resolution display, the new Apple A9 chipset and even a hybrid OS between iOS and OS X. The iPad pro should end up being the largest tablet from Apple so far and since consumers are gravitating towards larger and larger portable displays, the slate should be a hit.