8 Technology Predictions for 2012 - Apple, Google, Nokia, Facebook, Samsung, Twitter, Blackberry, HTC, UltraBooks

At the risk of you thinking that I'm a student of Zenaida Zeva or Stargazer, or a descendant of Nostradamus, allow me present my 8 daring tech predictions for the year 2012.

1. Apple

Apple iPad3 will be released in Q1 or Q2 2012 with design similar to that of iPad2. Retina Display and LTE connectivity support will be the main improvements. Smart will become an official carrier of the tablet and will bundle it for free with LTE plans.

Apple iPhone5, which will be released in Q3 or Q4 2012, will be heavily criticized by traditional and new media for not introducing any relevant innovation. Tim Cook will be grilled for choosing to stick to stiff product timelines at a time when competition is becoming terribly fierce.

2. Google

Google+ will get a major site design revamp during the first half of 2012, which will pique the interest of a lot of users and make them want to spend more time in the social networking site. As a result, popularity in G+ will become a major criteria for determining social media clout.

In the smartphone game, Google's Motorola acquisition will finally bear its fruits, grabbing the attention of a lot of Android fans -- especially those in North America and Europe. Android phone manufacturers will slowly realize that it's going to be hard to compete with a company that created the very platform they use. http://www.techpinas.com/2012/01/8-technology-predictions-for-2012-apple.html

3. Nokia

The follow-up to Nokia N8, which I think will be a Windows Phone Tango Super Cameraphone, will be one of the best-selling smartphones of 2012 and will reestablish the Finnish company's position as one of the leaders in the smartphone game in the United States. This will effectively signal the start of the Windows Phone Era.

Nokia will continue to develop Nokia Belle operating system for its entry level touchscreen phones until the user experience approximates that of Android.

4. Smartphone Features

Extended battery life will finally be quoted as a major selling point for a lot of smartphones and even tablets -- and consumers will be looking and comparing. Companies will focus on how they can double the battery life of smartphones released in 2011 without compromising form factor.

More Dual SIM Dual Standby high-end smartphones will be released. Within the next few years or perhaps even as soon as this year, this feature will become a main selling point even in the full-featured smartphone category.

5. Research in Motion

There will be no stopping the release of RIM's BBX operating system within the second half of the year. That's despite the fact that a lot of tech blogs in the US are saying that BBX is not even close to done yet.

RIM will continue to see Asia as a place for growth while it attends to challenges in the US and Europe. Who knows, RIM might even open an office in the Philippines.

6. Samsung and HTC

In the midst of its continuing legal battles with Apple, Samsung will churn out Android smartphones and tablets in various price categories that will end up being best-sellers. Samsung Galaxy S3 will be a hit just like its predecessor. The ensuing Apple vs. Samsung patent war will do nothing but make Samsung products even more popular around the world.

HTC will continue to release gorgeous powerhouse metal-clad Android handsets that will give consumers the insight that HTC is the true Ultra-High-End Android smartphone maker. But this year, HTC will also start to release affordable Android phones ala Samsung Galaxy Y that will give Samsung a run for the money.

7. Laptops and Notebooks

2012 will be the year of the UltraBooks. Notebook manufacturers like Acer, Lenovo, Samsung, Asus and Toshiba will be releasing and heavily advertising multiple Ultrabook models within the year (hopefully, in various price categories) - driving Ultrabook prices down, affecting prices of mid-level notebooks and effectively rending Netbooks obsolete.

8. Social Networking

Too much privacy and changes in the user interface that aren't in line with Facebook's initial vision will eventually become some of the reasons for users' declining interest in the leading social networking site.

Twitter won't give in to pressure from users and will keep the 140 character limit. This year, Twitter will reintroduce itself as a true Real Time Search Engine - via a bigger and more visible search bar - on top of being a short messaging site.

So what do you think, TP Friends?! Let me know your tech predictions for 2012!