PluggedIn

We’re all set for a bumper time in mobile for both smartphones and tablets. The coming months will see massive new operating systems coming from Microsoft and Google as well as big hardware launches from the likes of Apple and Samsung.

Here’s the hot new mobile tech you’ll see during the remainder of 2012…

Android 4.0 tablets

The latest version of Android, known previously by the whacky codename of Ice Cream Sandwich, is set to roll out on tablets over the next couple of months. It’s already made a splash on some phones, such as the Google Galaxy Nexus. The new operating system means a consistent interface across all new Android devices.

Windows Phone

Although Microsoft’s smartphone operating system accounted for only a fiftieth of the phone market in late 2011, expect a whole lot more devices based on it in 2012, especially as the next version, Windows Phone 8 Apollo, is out this year.

Microsoft is here to stay in mobile and is willing to stake a lot of money on its potential success.

New high-end smartphones

We’ll see a bunch of high-end quad-core devices launch including the iPhone 5 in the middle of the year as well as Samsung’s Galaxy S3, which should be with us in Spring.

Expect both to really raise the bar for mobile devices. Quad-core power is well and truly with us – we saw the HTC One X and LG Optimus 4X HD launch in February. However, most smartphones sold this year will be single and dual-core – quad-core power just isn’t necessary in most smartphones and tablets.

4G/LTE will make us jealous

4G is the successor to 3G that will bring us speedier internet connections and may remove the need for fixed line broadband. It’s rolling out in the US now but the bad news is that it’s nowhere near being even launched in the UK – Ofcom has yet to sell off the relevant spectrum and a 2015 launch is optimistic.

Windows 8 tablets

Although iPad 3 is launching this month and Android tablets are also gaining popularity, Windows 8 will launch later in the year and will bring us a raft of new devices including lightweight tablets.

These will use a new interface, dubbed Metro, that’s similar to the look and feel of Windows Phone and the new Xbox dashboard. We’ve already had a play with the new OS and we like it. A lot. However, it does take a little getting used to, as the Start Menu has disappeared!

Hello, Nokia

We saw the green shoots of recovery from Nokia in late 2011 with the Nokia Lumia 710 and Lumia 800. Expect more of the same from the company in 2012 as it seeks to recover from the decline of its own Symbian operating system as huge financial losses.

We’re hoping to see some new handsets in the Spring and rumours abound that the company will launch a Windows 8 tablet.