14 DAY TRIAL // As it often happens when a new year begins, we tend to come up with scenarios prophesizing the most important events that are to take place in the upcoming months. It’s the same in the world of tech, we imagine better, faster and more efficient gadgets that will also cost less.
In 2014 we saw a lot of new tablets be rolled out on the market and some were better than others. Device manufacturers managed to make slates skinnier, add AMOLED displays and equip them with neat features such as fingerprint scanners.
But tablets still have lots of scenarios they can evolve towards. We have glimpsed hints at several innovative possibilities, and hopefully 2015 will be the year when such products will finally be realized.
Let’s take a look at five tablet models that could make it out into the wild in 2015: some of them are very close to becoming a reality, while others sound a little too good to be true. Nevertheless, here are our top picks for you.
Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 (2015 Edition)
Albeit being a tablet with a long-long name, the Galaxy Note 10.1 (2014 Edition) has proved to be very popular with consumers, especially due to its embedded S Pen technology.
The device comes with a spacious display and appeals to artists and creative professionals, but not only. It also bundles high-end specs and the 2015 Edition won’t be anything less.
Samsung has already used AMOLED displays with its Galaxy Tab S series, so if the Galaxy Note 10.1 arrives in 2015 form, it will probably take advantage of the same panel technology.
As for processing power, Samsung might end up using its next-gen Exynos series in-house system-on-chip, which should make it out this year. The silicone will integrate a 3-band Cat.10 LTE-enabled modem. This will allow speeds of up to 450 Mbps on compatible networks.
To compare, the current Cat.6 LTE allows devices to achieve download speeds of 300 Mbps.
On the other hand, Samsung might choose to embed the upcoming octa-core Snapdragon 810 chip on the inside, which would also be a worthy option.
Couple all we told you with the updated, improved S Pen technology 2015 and the Galaxy Note 10.1 (2015 Edition) might as well be everything you'll ever need in your life.
Sony Xperia Z4 Tablet Ultra
Rumor has it Sony is working on a monster tablet. And when we say monster, we mean huge, behemoth-style.
The Xperia Z4 Tablet Ultra leaked with specs a while ago, showing a pretty massive device. The slate will supposedly arrive with a 12.9-inch LED display with a whopping 3840 x 2400 (4K) pixel resolution.
Under the hood, the slob is said to arrive with a 2.8GHz Snapdragon 810 chipset combined with 64GB of internal storage.
But here’s another mind-blowing fact for you – according to the leaks, the Z4 Tablet will work in concert with 6GB of RAM, offered in a 2x 3GB setup.
The device will probably also take advantage of an 8MP imaging sensor with 4K video recording capabilities of up to 30fps.
A bendable tablet
Talk about a tablet coming with a flexible display has been around for quite some time. Remember that back at MWC 2014, Samsung was said to be showcasing a bendable tablet. Sadly, the event was reportedly held behind closed doors and only VIPs were granted access to the special show.
The tablet apparently was capable of folding up to 90 degrees, which makes us think it could be used as a laptop or smartphone, with one half of the slate acting as the screen, while the other will act as an on-screen keyboard.
If the world’s first flexible tablet won’t come from Samsung, it might be “rolled” out by LG. The company has already put on display an 18-inch panel that can be rolled into a scroll.
Such flexibility should greatly improve user interface and since LG’s flexible OLED display is also semi-transparent, users will probably be able to see what’s happening on both sides of the 1280 x 810 pixel display, depending on opacity.
OnePlus One Tablet
At some point this summer, a leaked image seemed to suggest Chinese device maker OnePlus might also be working on a OnePlus One tablet, as a follow-up for its super popular CyanogenMod-based smartphone.
The information turned out to be fake, but even so it doesn't mean OnePlus couldn't branch out at some point and actually offer such a product.
But since then, a lot has happened. For example, Cyanogen has signed an exclusive partnership with Indian device manufacturer Micromax, so OnePlus won’t be making handsets taking advantage of this custom ROM anymore.
The company has announced it is building its own custom ROM and has invited fans to help name it. So if a OnePlus Tablet/Tab does make it out in 2015, it won’t take advantage of CyanogenMod but of something else entirely.
LG-made Google Project Tango tablet
This device has the potential to change how we think about tablets. We mainly use these products for media and entertainment, but Project Tango might open the gate for something else.
What makes Project Tango stand out from the crowd is its integrated sensors and cameras, which help the device “sense” the world around it.
Basically, this year we might have a tablet which will let users virtually change their environments, like picking out the ways furniture is arranged around the house.
The tablet will come equipped with a front-facing camera with 120 degree viewing angle, a 4MP 2 μm pixel camera on the back plus a motion-tracking camera and embedded depth sensor.
The whole shenanigan is powered by NVIDIA’s Tegra K1 architecture fitted with 4GB of RAM.
Google already introduced the Project Tango Tablet developer’s kit and LG is expected to introduce the tablet to the world sometime in early 2015.
