The new year is just around the corner and like any year, we will see a variety of new cellphones, computers, gadgets, and technology to be released over the year. Since technology develops at a fast and steady rate, we can sort of predict trends that could be seen within the industry. 2014 gave us many new gadgets, and it also gave us somewhat of a sense of what is to come. There are many companies out there that are on-track to release some seriously awesome new devices and gadgets within the upcoming year. Let’s take a look at five companies that you have to watch out for in 2015.
5. OnePlus
OnePlus is an extremely young smartphone manufacturer that has been generating a considerable amount of buzz around them. The current smartphone market is filled with devices that are cheap or are extremely expensive. If you do not purchase a smartphone with a carrier plan, the devices easily retail between $650 to $1,000 dollars depending on the device. OnePlus formed to produce a phone that would be comparable to flag ship phones, for a fraction of the cost. The company formed up in 2013 under Pete Lau and they operate out of Shenzen, China. The company announced their first device, the OnePlus One, on April 23rd of this year, and it has been a very popular cell phone. The OnePlus offered flagship-level features and performance that was comparable to other high-end devices at the time, while managing to keep the cost of the device only $299 at full retail pricing. The kept their margins extremely low, yet delivered a pretty great phone. As we look towards and into 2015, we should expect the company to release a new phone that will most likely be even better, while remaining a budget device.
4. Oculus
Oculus was originally a Kickstarter backed company that delivered easily one of the most interesting virtual reality systems to date. The company was formed by Palmer Luckey and they are based out of Irvine, California. After raising over $2.4 million dollars in the Kickstarter campaign, the company delivered their first product. Currently the company produces virtual realty headsets for developers looking into the technology, and they plan to release their first mass-produced model sometime in 2015, known as the Oculus Rift. The Rift will offer the most immersive virtual reality experience that can be used in many different ways: from amazing gaming experiences, to teaching medical students how to perform surgery.
3. Nest Labs
Formed by former Apple engineers Tony Fadell and Matt Rogers, Nest Labs is a company that is brining our homes into the 21st century. The company was first formed in 2010 in Palo Alto, California and they have been growing ever since. In fact as of recently, they were just acquired by Google for $3.2 billion dollars. The company currently produces smart thermostats and smoke alarm systems that connect to your Wi-Fi, providing you with a variety of cool features. Essentially their unique systems allow you to control and monitor your house via a computer or smartphone. You can change the temperature of a room or monitor the condition of your house when you are away. Additionally, their devices can help reduce your homes energy consumption. They are a company that is definitely worth checking out and we will hopefully see more devices released in 2o15 that will effectively turn your home into a smart-home.
2. Nvidia
Nvidia is another company we feel that you should look our for in 2015, as the past year was pretty great for the company. Nvidia is a well known American company that produces high-end graphics processing units and system-n-a-chip units that are used throughout the computing and technology industries. Their GPU’s are an example of some of the best graphical processors on the market, and they allow computer gamers to make machines that are more that ten times more powerful than console video game systems. As of recently the company has slightly diversified itself as it began producing tablet computers and mobile processors. Their most recent SoC was the Tegra K1 and it was on of the fastest on the market. They packed this device into their awesome Shield tablet. Most tablets offer pretty much the same mobile experience as phones, just on a larger platform. The Shield tablet does that, and much more. In addition to being a high-end tablet, the Shield offers a nice gaming experience as well. You just purchase the compatible wireless control and can game right on the deice, or hook it up to a TV and stream your content to that. It will be good to see what Nvidia plans to release this upcoming year as the Shield tablet was very promising.
1. Samsung
Samsung is always in the news or releasing some new device. The company based out of South Korea is one of the leading electronic and technology companies in the world. Outside of their cellphones Samsung produces televisions, smart watches, computers, tablets, and much more. They are known for their devices packed with features or unique selling points. They just recently released a phone with a curved screen, and we can expect to see many more interesting devices in 2015. The company has even stated that they are experimenting with bendable screens.
Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images
