New Year's Tech Roundup: Top 7 Gadgets and Devices to Look Forward to in 2015

With the holidays behind us many of us are just now becoming acquainted with our gifts during the new year, and the buzz about this year's most anticipated devices has already begun. As tech continues to expand exponentially, we can be confident that 2015 will bring the introduction of some particularly interesting mobile devices, gadgets, and tech inventions. In fact, this could prove to be one of the biggest years in tech history, considering the introduction of wearables, augmented/virtual reality devices, and perhaps even Microsoft's best release yet with the upcoming Windows 10. In the following roundup, we usher in the new year with a list of devices and gadgets that will surely make plenty of wishlists during this year's holiday season:

1. Oculus Rift

The Oculus Rift is an advanced virtual reality headset that has been the topic of much hype and anticipation as a prototype device in the past couple years. This month we learned that the Rift will be hitting stores at some point in mid-2015, and even more exciting is the fact that it is supposed to retail in the shockingly affordable $200 price range. That's not bad for a product that could become the leading commercial VR headset during the coming year. Several other virtual reality headsets are expected to hit shelves in 2015 as well, including Samsung's Gear VR, which is also made by Oculus.

We recently did an Oculus Rift rumor roundup, covering the product's release date, specs, and features, and based on that review, we feel that Oculus will be looked at as a pioneer in the virtual reality and gaming industry during the next ten years – a timeframe that, according to Moore's law, will undoubtedly reveal an exponential advancement in the complexity and capabilities of all kinds of new technologies. A decade from now, we could look back at the Oculus Rift as the gadget that brought true virtual reality from sci-fi movies to our living rooms.

2. Google Glass

Another headset that is shaping up to be one of 2015's most attention-grabbing products is the much-awaited Google Glass augmented reality device. What is the difference between augmented and virtual reality, you ask? Augmented reality devices (like Google Glass) do not block your view of the physical world around you. Instead they compliment it with overlays in your field of vision. On the other hand, virtual reality devices (like the Oculus Rift) cover your field of vision and immerse you in an interactive 3D experience.

Google Glass has been hyped as a product that could become the first commercially successful augmented reality device, and although Google hasn't yet provided an official release date, we do expect to see Glass become commercially available at some point in 2015. The product has been in the beta “Explorer” phase since 2013, available to a select group of users for development purposes at the pricetag of $1500.

Given Google's partnership with the Luxottica Group, it is likely that once Google Glass hits stores it will be available in base models, sports models, and luxury styles, all of which will probably have varying pricetags. After 2015, there are rumors of smart contacts already in the works, and of course there's also Google's self-driving car Chauffeur software set for 2017.

3. Apple Watch

The Apple Watch is an upcoming smartwatch from Apple that, up until the iPhone 6 launch event on September 9^th, was originally referred to as the “iWatch.” Apple decided to go with a much simpler name, and although they've not yet given an official release date, they've stated that the device should be available to US consumers at some point in the first half of 2015.

The Apple Watch isn't the only smartwatch that will be available in 2015 though, as the competition in this sector is expected to heat up like a cup of overcooked noddles in the microwave, We've already done a preliminary comparison between the Apple Watch and the Samsung Gear S, and we plan to update that post with a more accurate and thorough comparison of the top smartwatches of 2015 later this year. It was initially thought that the Apple Watch would hit stores in early 2105, but a leaked memo from Angela Ahrendt (Apple's Vice president of retail and online stores) has revealed that we probably won't see the Apple Watch released until Spring 2015.

As far as pricing goes, the base model of the Apple Watch is set to retail for the decent price of $349. However, other versions are expected to be a bit more expensive, with the stainless steel version expected to cost around $500 and rumors that there will be a gold Apple Watch worth $4,000 to $5,000. That may seem like a lot for a smartwatch, but considering that is also a luxury watch at that point, it's not a bad deal. Then there are third-party jewelers selling specialized versions of the Apple Watch on pre-order, such as the 18k rose gold “Diamond iWatch” with 15.14 Carats of diamonds that is currently offered by Mervis Diamond at the price of $30,150.

4. 12.9-Inch iPad Pro

Apple has several flagship products that will have new versions launched in 2015. The latest and greatest addition to the iPad line coming in 2015 is expected to be a 12.9-inch “iPad Pro,” in which Apple will employ the same oxide LCD technology used in the 27-inch oxide TFT panel on the iMac with Retina 5k Display. Recently leaked sketches have revealed what the new iPad might look like. 

Initially it was thought that we would see the iPad Pro hit shelves at some point in the 2014 holiday season or early 2015, but it is now looking like we won't be seeing it in mass production until at least the second quarter of 2015.

While 12.9-inches has been the number that has been most quoted since the beginning, recent rumors suggest a screen size of 12.2-inches, which could mean that the device will be 12.9-inches from corner to corner, with a 0.7-inch bezel. The release of the iPad Pro is expected to slow the sales of other types of iPads and tablets in the second half of 2015.

5. iPhone 7

The new iPhone always manages to generate a decent amount of buzz in the media, and we expect to see plenty of improvements and perks added to this year's edition. In 2014 we were expecting to see a new type of ultra-durable glass used in the display of the iPhone 6, with rumors of sapphire glass being the next generation display material. However, Apple chose to stick with Gorilla Glass, which was reportedly found to be more crack-resistant than sapphire glass during testing.

At this point it is still a little too early to start definitively discussing the features of the iPhone 7, but there are already plenty of rumors circulating about the device. As usual, we expect to see this year's iPhone released in the month of September, as it has been in so many previous years. There have also been rumors of including advanced waterproofing as a standard feature in the iPhone 7, a feature that we saw integrated somewhat in the larger iPhone 6 Pro phablet that attracted a great deal of attention and even a small scandal that turned out to be overhyped in the initial days after the product launch.

There were a few small challenges that made the iPhone 6 launch slightly difficult for Apple this year:

• Increased competition from LG and Samsung with the G3 and the Galaxy Alpha

• Lack of the well-hyped “super sapphire screen,” (which supposedly caused delays during the manufacturing process), that was anticipated by not only techies and consumers, but also investors who took stock in GT Technologies - the company that was supposed to partner with Apple to produce the crystal sapphire for the iPhone and iWatch series (which has been named Apple Watch), which then of course did not happen, as Apple chose to stay with Gorilla Glass for a number of reasons.

• The awkward lengthiness of the product, which led to phone-warping situations in which, for example, people wearing skinny jeans put the phone in their pocket and then sat down rapidly, thus bending their phone irreparably, which not surprisingly, turned out to be a relatively rare occurrence, yet still enough of a disturbance to cause an ongoing trickle of a social storm on Twitter running behind the hashtag #Bendgate.

Despite the above issues may have slightly tainted the press coverage surrounding the launch of the iPhone 6 series, Apple still sold more than 39 million iPhones during the iPhone 6 launch quarter, a statistic that shows that the iPhone is still Apple's strongest-selling product. will be interesting to follow the twists and turns in the development of the iPhone 7 during 2015; we're willing to bet it will be a better year than 2014 for Apple's smartphone department.

6. Samsung Galaxy Note 5

Samsung is expected to continue its reign as a leader in the burgeoning phablet (phone/tablet hybrid) sector with the release of a new Galaxy Note 5. Despite the fact that the Galaxy Note 4 was just released in the last couple months, there are already rumors circulating about the Galaxy Note 5, including that it will drop at some point in the 3^rd quarter of 2015, with the first official preview likely to appear around September, which is usually around the time Apple releases their yearly iPhone release. If this proves to be true, we should see the Note 5 in stores in early-to-mid October.

While the expected release date may not be that exciting, most techies will be excited to learn of rumors suggesting that the Note 5 could be the first smartphone to come equipped with a 3840 x 2160 pixel Ultra-HD, 4K resolution display. The Note 4 progressed the series from Full HD displays to the even more crisp QHD displays. Now there's speculation that Samsung will be making another visual leap into 4K UHD displays with the Note 5.

If the device is anything like its predecessors in the size range, it should measure in at the high end of the 5-inch range, as the first Galaxy Note released back in 2011 was 5.3 inches. Given that the Note 5 is expected to be the larger sibling to the much-awaited Galaxy S6, we could even see a notable size jump into the 6-inch+ range this year, but as of now there are some insiders claiming that the device will have a 5.9-inch form factor.

Although the exact specs haven't been revealed yet, since Android 5.0 Lollipop will be adding 64-bit support right around the time the Note 5 is released, we expect the device to have a Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 64-bit processor or better, with an impressive 4 GB of RAM.

7. Samsung Galaxy S6

Along with the Note 5, Samsung will be releasing the Galaxy S6 this year as well, and rumors suggest that this could be the first smartphone to have a truly flexible display. It is likely that we'll see the Galaxy S6 released by March or April, possibly sooner.

As far as price is concerned, as Samsung's new flagship smartphone the S6 is expected to hit stores at a retail price that will be close to what the S5 sold for originally, which is about $972. Although, since the S6 is expected to have better performance specs and a more durable metal build, we could even see a small price increase to the $1000 range, but probably not higher than that.

Recently there have been a number of rumors and leaks about the Galaxy S6, including leaked photos of the device next to its predecessors, the Galaxy S4 and S5. The images were posted on an Iranian tech website, showing a taller phone to the right of the S5 that is presumably the larger and improved Galaxy S6. As far as size goes, some rumors suggest that it will have a 5.5-inch Full HD display, while others say that it will keep the current 5-inch frame but upgrade to a higher-resolution quad HD instead.

As far as specs go, other rumors suggest that the Galaxy S6 will come with either a Qualcomm 20nm Snapdragon 810 chipset or an octa-core Exynos 7 SoC. Regardless of the chipset, the S6 is expected to be available 32 GB and 64 GB variants.

Other Notable Devices to Look Forward to in 2015

Aside from the top 7 most anticipated devices listed above, there are a few other key mobile devices, tech products, and new inventions to look forward to this year. LG is set to release the G4 this year, which is expected to become the first bendable smartphone. There have also been rumors of Microsoft working on an 8-inch Surface Mini tablet, with some sources even claiming that it could be released this fall at around the same time as Windows 10. Then the HTC M9 One is expected to hit shelves before year end as well.