Comments on: iSource Holiday Contests: Winner-a-Day Giveaway, Day 22

By: PatrickJ

PatrickJ — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 21:32:59 +0000

OK folks, we have a winner. Our judges have chosen the winner based on two things – the likelihood of their pick being the biggest Apple hit next year and the quality of the case put forward for it. Our winner is:

Kris Tark.

The judges want to give a quick mention to Andrew too. You had the very best written and presented entry – but we just couldn’t go with the Apple TV as the most likely to be Apple’s biggest hit next year. Maybe a few years down the road, but not next year. Great entry though. And of course there were quite a few others as well. Thanks to all for taking part.

Kris – watch your Inbox please. I’ll be emailing you very soon asking for your shipping details.

By: Andrew

Andrew — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 20:03:25 +0000

I think that Apple’s biggest hit product in 2012 will be their long-rumored television set about which Steve Jobs is quoted as saying, “I finally cracked it.”

This will be a beautiful and simply designed set available in 2-4 screen sizes, and will feature an LED backlit LCD display. Sound will be provided by an integrated sound bar on the bottom, along with wirelessly connected remote rear speakers for true surround sound. It will also have HDMI, DisplayPort, and optical audio inputs. Inside, there will be a quad-core Apple A6/7 CPU running a newer version of the current Apple TV iOS.

The software will be derived from the current iOS for Apple TV, with a number of improvements:

1. Voice input using Siri.

2. Motion controls using the built-in camera. This will be similar to Microsoft’s Kinect for the Xbox.

3. You’ll be able to download apps from the App Store that are compatible with this, including games and apps for other services. Now you won’t need a separate game console, or any other streaming video hardware.

4. One of the most important parts will be that Apple will reach streaming content deals with the necessary rights holders. You’ll be able to watch or listen to anything you want from iTunes, by purchasing or renting individual movies, TV episodes, or TV seasons, or through a subscription. You’ll no longer need a cable or satellite box; you can get everything over the Internet. You can still hook one up and use their clunky interface if you want to for some reason.

By: Brandon Bethea

Brandon Bethea — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 19:59:42 +0000

The products are in place, so next year should be about iNTEGRATION for Apple. The new iPads and iPhones acting out not only their original, intended uses but branching out as iRemotes for the new Apple TVs. Of course, the TVs will integrate our music libraries, social networking, media collections, and various applications. It would be great to see flexible, ultra-thing displays or products either introduced or integrated in the future pipeline of products. Like the Mayan calendar, it’s not just the end of an era, but the beginning of the next…

By: Nathan Prather

Nathan Prather — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 19:48:32 +0000

The iPhone will most definitely be the best of what Apple has to offer in 2012. It lead the smartphone revolution, and defined a new generation of technology. In 2012 they will release the iPhone 5, which will be a 4G phone, include a faster processor, more RAM, and with the way smartphones are headed, a larger screen.

It won’t differ too much from the iPhone 4’s design, it will be thinner, sleeker, lighter, with improved camera’s as well. With its release, Apple will probably be pushing iTunes Match harder, and it will have more subscribers.

People are using their phones more and more as their main computing device, for email, pictures, games, and not least of all, a phone. These technologies are converging for consumers into a single device. I believe the iPhone will be that device.

By: Abraham Anderson

Abraham Anderson — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 19:39:53 +0000

I believe the iPad will be Apples star product in 2012. With Tablets picking up so much traction in 2010 and even more in 2011, the demand for Tablets is even rivaling standard laptops/netbooks.

Apple has seen a slew of imitators since they released the first iPad in April 2010, but no tablet has been able to rival it.

Apple has seen even more success since releasing a 3G version on Verizon’s network, so I believe that in 2012 they will release a 4G version, it will be thinner, lighter (a standard for most technology advancements), It will definitely have an improved screen, if not a full-retina display, & will be more closely integrated iCloud support across their range of platforms, including iPhone, iPod, & iMac.

With all of this, & whatever tricks Apple has up their sleeves, paired with the only-increasing demand for Tablets, this is why the iPad will be Apple’s #1 product in 2012.

By: E Williams

E Williams — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 19:19:22 +0000

NFC (Near Field Communication)

NFC isn’t an apple idea, but Apple is going to make it mainstream in 2012. NFC will be supported in the new iPhone 5 and iPad 3. You will be able to use your iPhone as a replacement for your wallet. The iPad will become the new cash register in stores. The payment system will be tied to iTunes which is safe and secure.

It would be an evolution of the payment system. It would allow merchants to give rewards to customers without the use of coupons, cards, etc… It would also allow merchants to track the spending trends of their customers. On the flip side, it would be easy for consumers to use and track their purchases. It would be more secure than our current wallets with our various plastic cards and PIN numbers. Plus Apple will get a piece of the action from every transaction making them lots of money.

NFC is already popular and used successfully in Europe. It is about time for Americans to catch up.

In 2012, you would be able to your iPhone as your wallet, boarding pass or event ticket. I haven’t even touched on the gaming possibilities with NFC. As you can see, NFC would be a huge hit for Apple in 2012 if they chose to pursue it.

By: carol jean

carol jean — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 19:15:12 +0000

I think they will make a smaller, more portable iPad. 7 or 8 inches. With a quad core processor and higher resolution then retna display. It will include 3g/4g capabilitiies on the carrier versions and will be offered on sprint and will have simple switches for this in the notification bars. They will bring siri out of beta and finalize it for this divice. Maybe debut ios 6 on it also to keep up with android (depending on the time of year it comes out). Also a better camera front and back with a larger led flash. Maybe touch voulme controlls with no physcal buttons that vibrate the divice when touched. The ability to delete stock apps will be included. The ability to send an iMessage and text messages on the 3g/4g version from anywhere with a quick reply choice in the iMessage notification. this would sell great because alot of people want to bring their ipad with them but dont wabt to have to have a whole different bad for it and this would solve that problem for them with great reliabillity and speed.

By: Maxx

Maxx — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 18:37:21 +0000

In reply to Maxx. I'm hoping and praying and thinking that the next iPhone will be finally on T-Mobile and that they'll include some faster data connection, 4G anyone, and a bigger screen! It'll be a huge hit!

By: Maxx

Maxx — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 18:34:38 +0000

The next iPhone (iPhone 5 or whatever they will call it). There are many reasons for to be their hit next year. First of all smartphones sell much better than tablets so that rules out the ipad 3 as their biggest hit. Next up in the comparison is the itouch and other mp3 devices. They’ve never sold better than the iphone in comparison (in the same year). We’re shifting away from mp3 only devices and moving to smartphones that take it’s place. The last major device/product that apple has is the Macs, which the iphone outsells by about a 4:1 ratio. The iPhone is apple’s hit product now, no matter what’s in it, it’s what sells the best and is their biggest hit.

Then you add to all that the fact the iPhone 4S wasn’t a redesign, with a redesign iPhone 5 you will have a lot bigger sales than that of the iPhone 5, and they’ll probably be releasing something really great with this new iPhone. The only thing else apple could be releasing is an apple TV, but that won’t be all that big of a hit because people don’t buy tvs that often and not everyone is in the market for a smart TV like.

So in short. The next iPhone will be there best product of 2012 and I expect something great and new to be in it!

By: William James

William James — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 18:08:28 +0000

I would like to see the iTV come out. This wouldn’t just an iMac with TV capabilities, but a real TV. I’d say it should start out at 32″ and go up to 46″ to begin with. It would have Siri control, so you could say “channel 16” and it would change your channel.. or “I want to see whats on” and it would bring up your TV guide. It would also be connected to a DVR that would allow you to record through Siri also, such as “I want to record ____” and it would then find all the times that ___ show would be playing and record it for you. The TV would be high quality with the 42/46″ versions being 1080p while the 32/36″ versions being 720p. It would center around being hands free (even though it would still come with a remote). It would also be WiFi capable and could connect to your home network/storage/internet. It can connect and play videos/music from your computer or hard drive through your network on your TV. It can also access the internet, so you could do anything you wanted on the internet as well. The whole point would be that the TV could become the centerpiece for the entire system. Everything is done through the TV and controlled through Siri.

By: Kaitlyn Sussman

Kaitlyn Sussman — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 17:55:12 +0000

I believe the ipad 3 will be apples hit product in 2012. The ipad was the first successful tablet created, and shaped the commercial market for tablets. So far, apple has sold over 25 million ipad/ipad 2s. That’s more than any other tablet out in the market. There have been many rumors about the ipad 3’s features, such as a faster processor, a longer lasting battery, a retina display, and best of all, siri. These features would make the ipad 3 the most advanced tablet in the world. Having siri on it would truly set apart the ipad 3 from any other tablet, and would be a very convenient feature for users. With these powerful features, people looking to buy a tablet would want an ipad 3 over any other tablet out there.

By: Katie Lisi

Katie Lisi — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 17:49:47 +0000

I would love to see the iPad 3 with the new retina display and a quad-core processor. It should also be 4g capable with a toggle switch between Airplane/3G/4G/Wifi. It would also include Siri, which would be available through the WiFi connection or 3G/4G. This could be used as a stepping stone towards making the iPad more powerful/laptop-esqe. The new display/processor would be requirements because it is keeping the power similar with the up and coming tablets, which continue to bridge the gap between tablet and computer. The new display would give it a bump up above the rest of the tablets, which don’t have as nice of screens. They should also offer 4G capabilities on the higher end models (faster data speeds), while keeping the lower end models just wifi. This would allow them to take advantage of the new LTE chips that would be coming out. All this puts towards more unified experience throughout your house by offering multiple ways of connecting to other apple devices like AppleTV, iPhone, Macbook, and iMac. It would also allow connection to other non-mac devices. With the upgraded power, it would also make the overall experience smoother and more game console like experience on the iPad.

By: redsport

redsport — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 17:19:25 +0000

I would love to see a new AppleTV product that improves on every aspect of the existing version. It will do what GoogleTV does now, but properly. It will be integrated with cable television and satellite providers, work with online providers like Hulu+, Netflix and Amazon Prime, allow for purchases of apps fit for television and continue to do what it does now. It will include a way to control your television by speaking, control your DVR and allow streaming of video from other devices. It will include facetime with a video camera add-on and have a safari web browser for internet surfing. If Apple can pull this off properly, like they do on their phones, tablets and computers, then this item will be a hot seller and will turn television into what it should be!

By: Kris Tark

Kris Tark — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 16:48:46 +0000

Without a doubt, Apple’s biggest product next year will be the iPhone 5. With the release of the iPhone 4S, many dedicated Apple followers were disappointed with the lack of a new design and not much besides the camera and processor upgrade, and Siri. During this time, iOS’s biggest competitor, Android has been releasing handsets with a plethora of new features and at an increasingly fast pace. Bigger screen size, better processor, etc, in terms of hardware, the iPhone 4S had been merely a game of catch-up. However, with the release of the iPhone 5, Apple will surely and decisively retake the mobile handset battle, once again proving that the iPhone is the dominant smartphone on the most prominent mobile OS. There is almost an ensured design revamp with the next installation of Apple’s flagship product, and one that will truly rekindle the innovative spirit of Apple. Bigger screen, slimmer body, slicker form factor? Surely at least a couple of these will be seen in the 5. With the updates in technology, no doubt some sort of NFC technology will also be baked into the phone, enabling the use of NFC payment systems that are becoming popular with businesses these days. Furthermore, with the advancements made in mobile technology, some sort of 4G connectivity might also be implemented (with a means to retain battery life, hopefully). Apple’s iPhone is already one of the most iconic devices in the tech world today. With the installment of the iPhone 5, it will be set in stone: Apple fans, tech enthusiasts, even Android lovers will all be rushing out to claim one of the decade’s most greatest and most innovative smartphones created.

By: Tea

Tea — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 16:12:47 +0000

I feel that the best Apple product next year will be the iPhone 5 with a sleeker and more revolutionary design that will change the concept of smartphones again. The iPhone 5 may also have a more powerful chipset and quad core processor to make the phone faster and more powerful as well as a 4g or perhaps LTE network? In addition the iPhone should have a more powerful and longer lasting battery to blow away all those speculations of battery issues. I am also hoping that they will simultaneously come out with a new iOS with newer features better browsing experience and functionality as well as new camera settings, organisation of apps and more flexibility on arrangement of folders and personalisation options such as how the home screen can be organised as well as the app screens. Also maybe the home button and other buttons could be re-positioned, maybe the home button could be on the side with the power button instead of on the screen? Higher accuracy in cameras (more so the front facing one) would be nice too. Even in terms of accessories, the iPhone headphones might have a nicer design, the microphone could also designed and positioned differently. These all would make the iPhone something that would stand out from all other smartphones, in my opinion.

By: M.E.

M.E. — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 16:06:02 +0000

In reply to M.E.. forgot to add...iPad can also use the iPlay. And with the accelerometers inside, those devices will be able to do all kinds of cool Wii-like games. Just imagine Angry Birds or Infinity Blade II!

By: M.E.

M.E. — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 16:03:53 +0000

iPlay…this new device will allow you to play any of your apps on any tv or monitor for only $59. Your existing iPhone or iPod touch will be the controllers. If it’s hooked up to the web, you’ll also be able to use GameCenter to go head to head with others!