On the menu for 2009

GIZMO GALLERY

We have seen it all in 2008, be it multi-touch smartphones or compact laptops at dirt-cheap prices. So, what will be so special about 2009? Probably nothing much, but existing gadgets are set to get a design makeover, if not cheaper. And if you have been one of those who have been saving up in 2008, then the following gadgets are bound to be on your shopping list in 2009.

Nokia, Blackberry or HTC?
Nokia is ready to bring in its touch phone line up, to compete with Apple’s iPhone, RIM’s Storm, HTC’s Touch Diamond and LG’s Cookie. There won’t be a price slide but the market would have slew of cheaper smartphone options.

The battle, which has just begun between Nokia, HTC, RIM in 2008 for touch-based phones, will get interesting in 2009 as each one tries to pip another expecting consumers in 2009 to upgrade their plain-old mobile phones to smartphones that do e-mail and offer web access. Chances of mobile operators getting aggressive on cheaper data plans, with 3G’s arrival sometime, the smartphone culture would finally take off in 2009.

The BlackBerry, the Google Android G1, and the HTC and their Touch range, the so called “iPhone Killers” all failed to kill the iPhone, but this year Apple’s smartphone will lose some of its sheen as competition gets fiercer.

Netbook or laptop?
With the economy where it is, netbooks & low-cost PCs are all set to dominate PC sales in 2009. Rumours of Apple coming out with a netbook in the first half of 2009 have been floating around making netbooks one of the most watched gadgets. The market that was essentially built on Asus Eee PCs, starting at Rs 15,000, got competitive with similar offerings from HCL, Acer and even Dell. The Asus Eee PC 1000H and the new Lenovo IdeaPad S10, both with 10.2-inch screens and Windows XP operating systems have been a hit.

We know that Indians now buy more portable computers such as laptops than desktops, but in 2009, an increasingly important percentage will be mini-notebook computers, or netbooks.

LCD TV ... but with or without home theatre?
2008 was a great year for home entertainment gadgets, but what’s in store for next year? With the IFA consumer electronics show in full swing, all the major gadget manufacturers are showing off their wares and defining trends for the year. Expect HDTVs and LCDs to come super-slim. How slim? How about slimmer than your mobile phone?

Sony, Philips and Toshiba will be the first ones to bring in razor thin panels, but don’t expect prices to be comforting. More importantly, no one will invest in a LCD panel without equipping themselves with at least a basic home theatre system. Prices start at Rs 7,000 and onwards for home theatres. Sony Bravia’s latest home theatre system comes with finger-thin speakers and a devastating 700W of power. This new Blu-Ray not only looks gorgeous but should be capable of seriously upsetting your neighbours.