COMMENT: Hot reviews for 2009

What do we predict for next year?

26 December 2008 15:00 GMT / By Chris Hall

2008 has been a great year for launches, with Pocket-lint reviewing more than ever before. But with so many developments, what are we looking forward to playing with in 2009? We gaze into the crystal ball and tell you who we think the biggest movers and shakers will be.

Matured netbooks
2008 has definitely been the year of the netbook. The Eee concept from Asus has been twisted and turned all over the place with plenty of competition from more major players. We are expecting 2009 to see netbooks mature, with more and more offering built-in 3G modems, a trend that has already begun, giving you access to high speed mobile internet. We’d also expect better battery performance and the inclusion of more exciting features like HDMI connections. We can’t wait to get involved with these. Who will join the fray? Will we see a Sony Vaio netbook? Will Apple enter the ring and floor the competition?

Apps galore
The floodgates are open as more and more turn to downloadable apps and widgets for their phones and computers. We expect 2009 to deliver more innovative solutions across the board, making it easier to keep your life in sync and take your social networking on the move, whatever platform you use. Lots of fun to play with, these apps soon become essential. Our favourite download from 2008 was Xobni, essential for Outlook users. Perhaps Twitter will take over the world in 2009?

Snapdragon
Lurking around the corner is Qualcomm’s Snapdragon. This chipset is set to roll out in products in 2009, promising a whole host of advancements meaning better battery life, performance and features. What would we expect to see? Possibly higher megapixel camera phones from the likes of Samsung, LG and Sony Ericsson, as Snapdragon will support up to 11 megapixel sensors. But will they be any good? We can’t wait to find out.

TVs nudging into the multimedia arena
A trend that is already appearing on some televisions, we expect networking to have more of a focus, allowing you to access your downloaded PC content direct on your TV. We also predict that widgets will become more prominent, allowing you to customise information and pick up feeds from the Internet, right there on your TV. Can TV knock media streamers out of the park?

More touch media players
With connectivity being such a buzzword at the moment, we wouldn’t be surprised to see more pocketable devices losing all their buttons and following on from the success of the iPhone and iPod touch, giving you a large screen and touch controls. Will we see the likes of Creative or SanDisk go down this route, undercutting on price? Hopefully we’ll see more devices with external microSD slots, allowing you to swap around your music as much as you like.

Whatever 2009 holds, we’ll continue to seek out and review the hottest new gadgets and bring you all the news as it unfolds here on Pocket-lint.