After a crazy week in Las Vegas (I'm talking about CES of course) it's time to take a moment to absorb everything. Obviously, technology is an industry that stays exciting year round, but 2011 has a special buzz in the air. The revolution has begun with several newly announced tablets from various manufacturers. The dual core processor looks to become the industry standard. And the phones we already love(d), should finally be getting the updates they deserve and desperately need.
It seems the iPad got the tablet wheels rolling, and other manufacturers look to take it to the next level. The Samsung Galaxy Tab proved in late 2010, that tablet popularity is not confined solely to the world of Apple.And with Motorola showing off the Xoom, and Blackberry revealing the Playbook, how can 2011 not be a tablet year? The Xoom will take Android to a whole new level with software version 3.0 "Honeycomb." This will be the first Android tablet with software made for a tablet. Sporting a dual core processor, front and rear facing cameras and HD recording, the Xoom gets me excited about something I don't even need. When it comes to the Playbook from Blackberry, I must say I am equally excited. High Definition 1080p Front and rear video recording and a newly designed user interface make the Playbook a must for the Blackberry fan. And let's not forget, iPad 2 is just around the corner. This will be a confusing year for anyone looking to purchase a tablet.
Dual core processors----in phones. Say that two years ago and you may have been admitted. But today, and especially for 2011, the future is here. Right when we thought that phones can't (or didn't need to) get any faster, smoother and powerful, we are wrong. So far I know of at least two phones that will be confirmed to have a dual core, and already it seems people are making this a requirement of their next smart phone purchase. Talk about wave of the future. For me dual core catches my eye more for battery life improvement than for performance improvements. Call me crazy, but 1ghz is still blazing fast to me. However, with 1080p recording and seamless multi-tasking brought to the table, I'd be crazy not to want it. Expect the first dual core phone (LG Optimus 2X) to be rolling out this Spring.
Finally, updates. Hopefully. The Galaxy S line was promised an update to Android 2.2 "FroYo" by the end of 2010....or was it 2011? But seriously, I know people who are ready to give up completely on the Galaxy S family. I really can't blame them. Owners of a Galaxy S phone should finally be receiving updates to FroYo soon, unless Samsung doesn't really like repeat buyers. Many rumors floating around speculate that Samsung is reserving updates until some of their new products are released, but I really hope that's not the case. The software update I personally am probably most excited about is the Windows Phone 7. Even beyond the cut/paste feature, I really want to see what else was brought to the table. I use an HD7 from time to time, and I love the cleanliness, but hate the lack of basics. True multi-tasking is not expected to be a part of the next update, but I hear improvements have been made. Microsoft plans several updates to the line of Windows Phone 7 devices throughout 2011.
See? I told you 2011 is going to be a busy year, and this is just what has been announced so far. I can only imagine how out of control things will get when the iPhone 4 is finally released to VZW and iPhone 5 is announced. What else will this year bring? A phone that washes your car? A dual core vacuum? Whatever it is, this year will be magic.
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