iPhone Redux :: Apple's Next iPhone
As it first needs to approval from the Federal Communications Commission, it will have to be disclosed publicly a few months earlier. Expect Apple CEO Steve Jobs to announce iPhone 2.0 no later than March, in time for a July release.
The next iteration is likely to include access to faster 3G wireless networks, speedier Wi-Fi connections, and GPS reception. Also rumored, but not confirmed by Apple: an iPhone mini.
iPhone Rival :: BlackBerry 9000
A major iPhone rival is Research In Motion's (RIMM) BlackBerry. The devices may appear to be aimed at vastly different audiences, but they overlap in an increasing number of ways. BlackBerry phones now play music and video, while iPhones handle text messaging and e-mail, and are increasingly in demand among business users.
The BlackBerry 9000 series, as yet only the subject of rumor, is said to look an awful lot like an iPhone, even sporting touch-screen technology.
Connected Navigation :: Dash Express
Navigation devices, with their ability to get users from place to place using Global Positioning System technology, were all the rage in 2007. In the coming year, expect them to become Internet aware.
In February, startup Dash Navigation will debut its $600 Dash Express, a car navigation device that uses wireless phone networks to get live traffic updates and load addresses and routes from a PC or Mac. The navigation industry will be watching closely for signs of the product's success. If it is successful, Dash may find itself in the crosshairs of a suitor.
Mobile Matchmaker :: GE Cell Fusion
GE's Cell Fusion products let you link your cell phone using wireless Bluetooth technology. The point is to mesh the sound quality and other benefits of a landline phone with the convenience and cost savings of a cell phone. Consumers could, for example, take calls to a cell phone on a home phone when the wireless device is charging, or make long-distance calls on a home phone while using a cell-phone plan.
Digital Readers :: Amazon Kindle
Reviewers called it ugly and overpriced. But consumers couldn't get enough of Amazon.com's (AMZN) Kindle e-book device. Despite the pans, the item was sold out in a matter of days and Amazon is rushing to replenish the supply.
While e-book readers are still a curiosity for many in the mainstream, the concept simply won't die. Sony (SNE) is on the second generation of its digital reader, and eyes will be on Amazon for evidence of strong sales.
Smartpens :: Nokia, Livescribe, Epos
Digital pens, a footnote from the last tech bubble, are poised for a second run at commercial success in 2008 thanks to products from no fewer than three vendors.
In February, Livescribe will introduce its smartpen, which not only records your written words so they can be read on a computer, but also records surrounding sounds—an obvious boon to college students taking lecture notes. Others pens from Epos and Nokia (NOK) stick to storing what you write on a computer.
Wi-Fi Video Phones :: CREATIVE Technology
Wi-Fi calling, a category that includes Apple's Touch and iPhone as well as devices made by Cisco Systems (CSCO), is set to expand in 2008.
A notable addition, judging from FCC filings, is the InPerson from Creative Technology (CREAF). It looks a little like a laptop computer, but is aimed at making Internet videoconferencing calls without a PC.
Open Cell Phone :: Google's Android
The first phones bearing Google's (GOOG) Android operating system are expected to hit the market in the second half of 2008—just in time, it would seem, to compete with the second-generation iPhone and whatever new BlackBerry device Research In Motion cooks up.
The cost of the OS (it's free) can't help but upend the competitive landscape for smartphones, but only if Android lives up to the hype.
Built PC Tough :: Solid-state PC hard drives
Hard drives are delicate. Notebook PCs tend to be dropped. It's a recipe for data disaster. One answer is solid-state hard drives, which store data using flash memory chips, rather than the spinning glass platter of a traditional hard drive.
Already appearing in some high-end notebooks from Dell (DELL), solid-state hard drives are likely to make a bigger splash across the mainstream PC market in 2008. The benefits for users are faster boot-up times and notebooks that are less sensitive to drops. The downside? Higher cost per gigabyte, though the prices on flash are dropping fast.
Make-or-Break Year :: Palm
The company whose name was once synonymous with handheld computing is in the doldrums. Palm's been there before and recovered. The question is whether it can bounce back again. Palm's Treo line of smartphones is looking hopelessly outdated compared with the BlackBerry and iPhone; its Foleo clamshell device, announced with much fanfare, attracted shrugs, and was ultimately killed.
Palm's latest device, the Treo 755p, was late getting out the door in time for the holidays. This could be Palm's make-or-break year. Devices running a badly needed update to the Palm operating system won't appear before 2009, raising the impolite question: Will anyone care by then?
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