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The year 2013 is just hours away, folks, and another crazy year of excitement and fun should keep us on our toes. We like to do a bit of foreshadowing, though, so the team went ahead and came up with a list of what we think might transpire in the unpredictable land of Android this coming year. Read ahead, and remember that these are just predictions with a dash of wishful thinking — we’d be delighted to see half this list come true. Without further ado… read on!
Battery buster: out with the thin, in with the new (Rob Jackson)
A lot has changed since the first Android devices. The Motorola Droid’s 3.7-inch screen was once considered enormous. Tablets in general were seen as a luxury and 7-inch tablets viewed as a niche market. Hardware keyboards have all but gone the way of the dodo, replaced by responsive 4.5-inch+ touch screens that have rendered keyboard phones endangered.
But one common complaint has transcended almost all of these form factors: poor battery life. Rather than relying on “thinnest phone in the world” type marketing, manufacturers will offer more phones with slightly added heft but incredible battery life. Combined with improvements in battery technology, the typical Android user will finally go a full 24-hours without considering it a miracle.
Google TV gaming controller (Edgar Cervantes)
Android and Chrome OS merge for ultimate PC OS (Quentyn Kennemer)
We’ve been dreaming of Android-based computers for quite some time now. Some smaller companies partially fulfilled those dreams as early as 2009, though Android was rough around the edges for anything other than phones. It still had us wet at the tongue as we longed for a day where Android could become a viable PC operating system. Google had a different vision, obviously — that vision turned out to be Chrome OS.
The search giant wanted a netbook OS that could rely on the cloud and web-based apps to satiate those who might miss typical apps, but the reality is that only gets you so far. Trust me, being told that I can’t use an “app” because I don’t have an internet connection is frustrating. Yes, it’s true that we often have access to a WiFi connection at places where we tend to whip out portable computers out, but web-only solutions can’t satisfy the need of everyone.
I predict Chrome OS will continue to struggle to break ground, and Google will finally look to merge it with Android. There’s no good reason why it couldn’t happen. For starters, there’s already a Chrome app on Android. While that implementation of the browser might not fully support plugins and web apps we imagine it can’t be that hard to let the two live in harmony inside some sort of sandbox.
Technical feasibility aside, the marriage of Android and Chrome OS can only help Google realize their dream of being on literally any type of device it wants to be on. You get the backing of the familiarity that comes along with Android and the Google Play Store and a multi-window experience we’ve always longed for, all the while still providing an excellent browser that delivers ad dollars right through Google Search — why not?
Google and Samsung make a Nexus TV (Rob Jackson)
An awful lot has been said about Google’s lack of dedication to Google TV, an Android based platform with tons of potential that has yet to catch on. Most critics blame Google for an absence of effort, and the abrupt launch and demise of the Nexus Q home entertainment device in 2012 added a mysterious uncertainty to the Google TV saga.
In 2013 all of that will change when Google announces the Nexus TV by Samsung at Google IO, made available in time for the holidays. Launched simultaneously with peripheral accessories based on Android Open Accessory, a redesigned UI, and new content partnerships, Samsung will offer a Galaxy inspired TV experience that will quickly lead the new age of internet connected television.
Google fails to release Android@Home light bulbs… AGAIN (Edgar Cervantes)
Google and Rayban bring Project Glass to retail (Chris Chavez)
With the first wave of Google Glass landing in developers’ hands in 2013, I think Google will have some time on their hands to focus on the other portion of Glass most consumers are most worried about — design. Sure looking like a Trekkie is fun for — oh, I don’t know… 5 minutes — but once you’re out and about in the real world, nobody wants to look like a total doofus. That’s why I think Google will be working on a fashionable version of Google Glass paired with Rayban that allows the eye wear to almost completely blend in Google Glass, possibly even integrating with it. Couple this with Rayban’s ad team, and they’ll maybe even be able to sell a pair or two.
RIM throws in the towel on Blackberry (Rob Jackson)
The downfall of the Blackberry brand has been well documented: an outdated OS, an archaic internet experience, and disastrous mismanagement have brought a once proud brand to its knees. The company’s remaining gasps of breathe exist in reliable security and their related success with corporate and government entities that can’t or won’t afford the cost of switching.
With value quickly diminishing, RIM will seek a buyer in 2013, hoping to bail out stock holders and management alike. Noting the failed HP purchase of WebOS, rivals Apple and Google will stay on the sidelines. Instead, Microsoft will acquire the company in an attempt to regain enterprise market share, but the purchase will fail to move the needle until 2014, when it’s looked back upon as a success.
Nokia ends Microsoft partnership to embrace Android (Chris Chavez)
Nokia came out the gate swinging this year with a handful of sexy, well designed handsets. There’s only one problem: they’re playing for the wrong team. As much as Nokia’s CEO pretends Windows Phone is the superior mobile OS (he’s either getting paid to say that, or he’s delusional) dismal sales in 2013 will force the once great handset OEM to make some changes, one of those being Android. Say what you will about Elope, he makes some beautiful devices — ones that would look even better with Android running on them.
Google Wallet dies at the hand of ISIS (Quentyn Kennemer)
Google Wallet was poised to be the end-all, be-all solution for the future of mobile payments, but one thing stood in its way: a band of very powerful carriers. Sprint was the only American carrier to get on-board with Google for the NFC payment service, but the other three biggies stateside had other plans.
When Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile banded together to support ISIS they made it clear that they believed Google didn’t hold the answer to the future of payments. Why? We can’t say for sure. Some believe the resistance is due to Google not willing to give carriers a big cut of the pie for payments made. ISIS allows the carriers to scrape a more generous amount off the top, and since business is always about money that is likely the biggest factor.
Google’s done really well to start out as it eventually supported all major credit cards and has some very big names on its partners list, but the mobile payments scene is still fresh enough for ISIS to make an impact and I don’t know if Google can withstand the heat. After all, the biggest carrier in the mix — Verizon — is actively blocking Google Wallet by denying access to the secure element of its devices, and that is perhaps the most damning thing of all.
WiFi Charging will finally take off (Edgar Cervantes)
Google WiFi: Free Hotspots Everywhere (Quentyn Kennemer)
As the world looks to become more connected than it already is (is that even possible?) Google will most certainly look to capitalize on a nice opportunity. I wouldn’t be surprised to see them strive to build the first major network of public WiFi hotspots that can be accessed for the low, low price of “free.” Public WiFi access is nothing new, per se, but the few options out there are government-built, as slow as molasses and offer spotty services, at best.
Attaching its name to a wide-scale (I’m talking about national) collection of free, reliable hotspots would only help Google solidify its already-dominant position in the world of web technology. Google doesn’t stand to gain much at first glance, but if you look a bit deeper you might find it’s something it would actually benefit from.
Google’s MO has always been to encourage and enable everyone to hit the ground running with Google Searches no matter where they are and what devices they have. Some people are more cautious about doing any of that on their phones thanks to the advent of capped data, and many people would love to use their WiFi-only tablets while they’re out and about but loath having to pay for overpriced hotspot options from their carrier of choice. I predict Google will solve that problem, and they’ll be paid back by the thousands of ads you’ll view over your new public access points.
ASUS and Google concoct the Nexus Padfone (Chris Chavez)
Besides quad-core phones finally hitting the mainstream in 2012, one of the best ideas to hit Android was the convertible ASUS Padfone (and its successor, the Padfone 2). With specs soon hitting a ceiling (what’s next after 1080p phones, 4K?) I think Google will snatch the opportunity to shake the tech world upside down, making the next Nexus a Padfone. Consumers will go nuts, everybody will win. Well, except Apple that is. They’ll be left sitting on their hands, looking for more basic ideas to patent.
What about you?
Like we said before, these are just predictions — they’re not meant to be taken as gospel. We just think some of these things have a pretty decent chance of going down in the new year, though we wouldn’t be surprised if this list was more hit or miss. As unpredictable as the world around us is it’s fun to just sit back and daydream every now and then. Why not join in on the fun with us by giving your predictions in the comments section below? Perhaps we can revisit this post on December 31st, 2013 and see just how insane we all turned out to be. Have a happy new year!
Samsung and Apple come together to develop a new smartphone; it’ll be called the I-Sue2
Id like to see manufactures like samsung,sony etc have an option on there phones, for example Samsung has the Galaxy S4 with Touchwiz 5.5/6 but in the menus have an option for stock Android… as im writing this it would make sense that they didnt, because then the Nexus would be out of it…
Or just install oden on your PC connect your phone flash cwm transfer the root zip to the phone boot into cwm and install zip. Then put aokp ROM on phone and once.again install zip from cwm and you have stock android.
Okay, so what about people who do not want to root and install custom ROMs?
Happy New Years boys !!
You guys are all a bunch of optimists aren’t you~ ^_^
I would like to see a Motorola Nexus.
i second the moto nexus! give me a razor maxx with stock kie lime pie! hellz ya
*Android Kumquat
Nice. Some ambitious predictions. :)
I have an opposite take on Android@Home.
I think we’re on the verge of a home automation explosion. If you’ve used a Nest thermostat you can see the power of being able to control your home temperature from anywhere in the world.
Part of Android@Home’s failure was that Google didn’t push it, the other part was that it was ahead of it’s time. I think the industry could benefit enormously from some standardization. I expect some kind of push in this area at IO this year.
Also, NFC.
I think Google would do very well to push some additional NFC features into stock Android as a value differentiator for the platform. For example, an NFC tag that gives anyone access to your protected home WiFi without sharing the password.
Nest is cool. I keep telling my wife we need it!
Just buy her one for Valentine’s Day. With flowers, of course. :)
Nexus Q rises from the ashes. 3,000 mAh batteries for everybody!
Although it looks Kool, the Q is a stripped down version of the nexus 7 that costs more.
Haven’t you said that in another post? I beg to differ, the Q has syncing capabilities that the N7 doesn’t, and the Q has a built-in amp. Plus, the Q will most likely have Google TV built-in when it finally gets released.
Yes I have mentioned it before. And yes the 7 doesn’t have a rj45 connection but although not as fast wifi achieves the same thing. Also with the usb it might be possible to connect although there’s nothing I know of at this time. I have plenty of amps. Google tv is just software.
Google TV is software, but software that will not work on the N7. The only thing the N7 can do for Google TV, is become a remote control. So your original argument that the Nexus Q is a dumbed down version of the N7 is false.
i would like to see Google Wi-Fi everywhere, as well as chrome and android merging. i really doubt RIM will throw in the towel, that Google Wallet will die, or that Wi-Fi charging will take off. i mainly doubt the Wi-Fi charging because people don’t like change. plus a lot will probably question how safe Wi-Fi charging is.
I see RiM changing focus to be more of a middle man; think IBM.
They will focus on integration solutions and leave the hard/software behind.
Agreed. After BB10 is dropped with underwhelming sales, they’ll decided to bow out of the hardware arena. Then they’ll license the crap out of their patent portfolio.
Android Tablet-PC with MS Office & Logitech Desktop keyboard mouse combo
Drooling at the very concept of a Nexus Padfone… Even though this is an Android blog, I would love a Windows 8 / Windows Phone Padfone too :D
Not going to happen!
We can dream…
I will like to see Google Fiber integrated into more cities also an Android app that is preloaded as an Messager similar but better than iMessage.
It’s called GTalk.
I love you all Chris, Rob, Edgar and Quentyn. Keep up the good work in the new year. i love Chris’s idea on google glasses but with Oakley, google free wifi every where (Quentyn) and Nokia ending its exclusivity with windows mobile and bring some android love. Happy new year to all of you and everyone out there in the tech world and phandroid land.
Happy New Year!!!! :D
We love you too! Happy new year. :)
Wifi charging sounds like a tech boy’s wet dream. Did you say the technology already exists?
I believe that Apple submitted a patent for just this sort of thing. Charges the phone if you’re within 10 feet of a laptop/computer that has this special cable plugged into it.
MIT researchers were the first to actually get that working. It’s still wireless inductive charging, just doesn’t require contact.
No, this is actually charging from the RF energy from WiFi, not just charging without a wire, although I don’t recall it charging as fast as the article states… I seem to remember it being more of a “run out of battery slower” technology than something that actually makes your charge go up.
I just don’t see Android and Chrome OS every being combined. I can see them being installed alongside each other, maybe even with instant switching, but not merged. Personally I hope they go the way Ubuntu is taking. Having a phone that can hook up to a monitor/mouse/keyboard and become a Chrome OS computer is convenient. Chrome OS needs to rework it’s marketplace a bit though. There needs to be a stronger distinction on which “apps” are online only, online sometime, or offline only (which is possible with HTML5).
As for Google WiFi, I think it would make more sense for them to buy up MetroPCS or another small 4G carrier and improve on that. Wi-Fi as it stands now (might be better with 802.11ac) sucks for a lot of connections. Google needs to extend beyond the OS and Hardware and get into the service game. They’ve obviously seen the demand with Google Fiber…
As for Android@Home, it failed because they tried to show it off with a light bulb. Home Automation is the future (and exists in more places than you think), but if they really want it to take off then they need to develop a low cost chip (say $5-$10) like the $25 Pi computer that can be used for hobbyists and let it take off from there. A bridge that would let it communicate with X10/INSTEON/Z-Wave/etc. would also help.
Long story Short: A reliable light switch that can be remote controlled runs for $60 with INSTEON. X10 is crap but even those are $15-$20.
I predict that the phandroid forum will stop working tonight.
Wi-Fi charging sounds like the most exciting development, but I would love to see Verizon forced to allow Google wallet equal access to the secure element. US carriers really need to be put in their place.
Sony phone will b a badass and samsung and sony will kick craple phone on sales..htc will be on third place on the android world RIM wil be a failure just like windows phone and windows 8.
Google Wifi sounds interesting with all the testing being done with “white space frequency”. However I feel this may be one of those situations where Google will end up battling with wireless carriers, ending with Google limiting the service to appease them. My best guess is it’ll end up limited to Google Fiber subscribers only. Which I guess doesn’t change too much, such a system would require a ton of back end work so their fiber system would make the obvious choice.
I don’t see RIM throwing in the towel and selling off its business, well not entirely at least. I could see it selling off the hardware division(and related patents) while going on to be the behind the scenes/middle man. Something like bringing their BBM to Android/ios, email, etc to convince companies to stick with their enterprise services.
Nexus TV… I hope not. The reign of smart TVs may come, but I still don’t think it is within the next few years. People generally use their TV until it is dead, which is going to last a lot longer than the time it takes for the “smart” hardware to become obsolete(and I don’t mean “wah wah something better came out”, I mean unable to run current software). Set top boxes or even the USB sticks make a lot more sense and are cheap enough to replace in a reasonable cycle. Maybe smart TVs will make more sense when arm technology slows down it will be more reasonable of an idea.
Google wallet die the hand of isis? LMAO. I’m sorry, I’m laughing so much, I got tears coming out of my eyes. ISIS is live in 2 cities? They have barely any support from all the major credit card companies, and maybe by the year 2020 they might bring ISIS to a grand total of 20 cities. Good luck ISIS, I consider ISIS up with the biggest flops of 2012 with Apple maps, and will continue to be a flop through 2013.
I really hope Glass get’s released this year, and becomes as common as having your phone in your pocket. I’m certainly buying one.
The developer version is getting released early this year and Google are saying if all goes well the consumer version will be in 2014
2013 will be the year of true multitasking phones and tablets. Concepts found on the N7100 and N8000 will become standard. Apple will the sue Samsung cause Apple did it first, desite the feature not being available on iOS till 2016…Apple still did it first.
Here’s the harsh reality of WiFi charging: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8s3Xjeg0sk
Good write up guys. Happy new year to all the staff at Phandroid, my go to Android site now and in the future!
The Nexus Juggernaut will be announced. An 8 core, 4 gig ram, 64 gig internal storage, 5600 mah battery, 8.1 screen phone. It’ll be connected to a satellite that will fire a laser that can scratch your ass from space.
The moto x
Would finally make the Xoom commercials make sense =p
Bring a Asus phone to the USA
Nexus pad phone, WiFi charging, Google hotspots are my favorite 3. Glass would be interesting w/Ray ban, I would bite.
I don’t think the android computer would catch. You see what Microsoft did with Windows 8. They failed miserably (in my opinion) to make a unified system…Touch and desktop… if they do I don’t think it would be a strong competador in the market run by Microsoft and Apple…
I disagree, I think Windows 8 is brilliant. Combined with my Nexus 7 and Splashtop, Windows 8 makes it so easy to navigate my desktop remotely. All of the touch gestures behave as if I was on a Windows tablet. My favorite part of Windows 8 is for some reason the driver for my graphics card is behaving correctly. Last year I couldn’t play Portal or TF2 without getting graphics artifacts and freezes. This year after installing Windows 8 I finally have the gaming desktop I built and paid for and thanks to the Steam sale, I have 65 new games to catch up on.
I hate windows, although still the best for desktop, trying to update 32 bit xp to 64bit 8 has so far been futile. Microsoft is no help, Internet search has provided little and add in raid 0 and it’s been ridiculous. I now know what needs to be done but why so difficult?
Yeah its good with touch but laptops are traditionally known not to have touch compatibility, Android is built off a touch interface making a track pad as useless as it is currently on Windows 8. If that android laptop would have touch it would be awsome but if not I feel like it would fail…
You can’t always surf porn on those free wifi hotspots so they are useless and most don’t allow downloading just websurfing that is slow.
This is Google we’re talking about. While I’m sure it won’t be Google Fiber speeds, I doubt their internet would be slow.
can’t surf porn so it’s useless? so all you do whenever your on the internet is wack off to porn? How did you fit in typing this message, it’s not surfing porn so you can’t be doing it.
People, people. Let’s stop the hyperbole, you can’t call something useless if it has a use, the fact that it may prohibit one or two activities does not make it useless.
Not to mention even the assertion that you can’t surf porn on some wifi hotspots, therefore google hotspots won’t allow you to surf porn, is inherently filled with logical problems.
i believe he was joking
I Predict Samsung causes Apple to die of a massive heart attack.
Apple will sue Samsung in 2013.
Man that Nexus Padfone would be so badass. I would hope they’d allow for expandable storage though.
No matter what the new year brings us in the Android world I’ll be reading about it here.
The writing is witty and informative and I enjoy reading and participating in the comments as well.
Happy New Year, Phandroid!
I would really, REALLY, love a G3. I love the G1 and G2’s designs, I love non-locked down HTC’s(for fastboot. Odin sucks), and I love stock androidy goodness. PLEASE GIVE US AN UP TO DATE KEYBOARD PHONE! PLEASE!
No more phablets! The 4.65″ galaxy nexus I have now is the perfect size! Keep the 5th gen Nexus phone around that and I will gladly buy off contract when I’m finally free from my awful Verizon plan.
Google uses Motorola (hardware) and ChromeOS (laptops) to conquer emerging and education markets — leaving high-profit markets to its Android partners. Microsoft Windows and Nokia will be the big losers in this move, while Android partners will become more comfortable with Google’s ownership of the hardware manufacturer. Motorola will also focus on set-top boxes, home automation, etc. As far as ChromeOS and Android merging — I don’t see it, but they may very well take on the same look and feel to further intuitive function and user familiarity with both.
Movie and music content owners further succumb to the realization that their old models of distribution are not sustainable and reluctantly embrace the internet. Case in point, we have four Roku’s, and when a commercial plays on Hulu Plus we are forced to watch it in its entirety — no switching channels or fast forwarding. This is gold for content owners once they realize it as they should be able to get top dollar from advertisers.
Let’s hope that Congress, the Patent Office, and the courts get their act together, invalidate ridiculous software and design patents, and put forth limitations on software patents. Patents should exist to protect innovation, not stifle it.
My prediction is that at least 9 of the 12 predictions are wrong:
1. No. Samsung’s Galaxy S and Note devices have succeeded because they combined thin and light form factors with large vibrant screens. So while some phones will be offered with higher capacity batteries, thin and light will still be “in”.
2. No. More TVs may come with Google TV integrated, but dedicated Google TV boxes will continue to struggle, and if manufacturers release gaming controllers that only support Google TV, they won’t sell well either.
3. No. ChromeOS and Android will continue converging (ChromeOS will get a touchscreen in 2013) but ChromeOS supporting flash while lacking Java and native 3rd party apps means they’re not going to merge in 2013 (though they might eventually).
4. Maybe. See #2 above.
5. Yes. Android@Home light bulbs aren’t cost effective. Duh. That written, other Android@Home devices may finally come out.
6. No. Google Glass will only ship the $1500 prototypes; it won’t be ready for retail until at least 2014.
7. Maybe. RIM is done, either in 2013 or 2014.
8. No. Nokia won’t give up on the partnership this soon.
9. No. ISIS isn’t going to take off in 2013 either.
10. No. Wifi has so little energy that the resulting trickle charge is negligible (that blackberry was not charged in 1.5-2 hours from a wifi source).
11. No. Free Google wifi hotspots may pop up in a few markets, but they wont be everywhere in 2013.
12. No. The Padphone is nifty, but has a limited market.
ASUS and Google concoct the Nexus Padfone (Chris Chavez)
that’s the best idea, yet. I’d love to see that happen.
there is way better article than this…
http://chatpatahalwa.blogspot.in/2013/01/5-concepts-that-should-come-true-in-2013.html
I read somewhere a couple years ago that Google was looking to become “their own carrier” (or something like that) making their signal completely free, but ad supported…all you had to do was buy your device outright. Novel idea for us Canadian residents that still pay “a fortune” in monthly cell phone services…imagine Google shutting down every carrier in the process. Wouldn’t surprise me to see people taking the buy-out and transferring their devices over to a Google carrier just to get onto a free monthly service.
Don’t mess with Google!
normally these lists are lame and uninteresting…..but you guys nailed it… WiFi charging is awesome .but I can’t see it going live without a major backing it
Truey wireless charging, just around a hotspot will not take off, the amount of energy and broadcast power needed to wirelessly charge at any distance is 1) extremely inefficient and 2) dangerous to humans because of the power needed. It’s a nice idea in theory, but in reality their are just too many problems.
I would like to see different size, dockable (my word) screens. I don’t need a tablet that has all the same internals as my phone, I just need a bigger screen at times. I know Asus tried to make one but it only worked with their phone, I’m thinking universal. I can already mirror on screens like tv but it also needs to be a touchscreen for input.
Would like to see a newer, better T-Mobile Sidekick or similar device from another Carrier WITH a state-of-the-art hard keyboard with state-of-the-art features/specs.
The Moto X phone will be either announced or released by the end of 2013. Another thing that I think will happen is Google will invest in customer service and change. And I think Google will either become a cable/dish provider through an acquisition or they will greatly expand Google Fiber. That, or they will gain a wireless service provider.
If Google were to release a Nexus TV, I’d like to see it manufactured by Sony. Their current Google TV devices are top of the line, and they know how to make an excellent screen. Plus, remember the rumor that 5 different manufacturers would produce new Nexus devices? We got a phone from LG, a tablet from Asus, and a tablet from Samsung. Add in a TV from Google and a… something from HTC and that rumor becomes fact.
Google to make sublet a 7″ tablet car dock that goes into a true cardock mode for Double Din radio space. Similar to the AppRadio2
Google Wi-Fi plus Wi-Fi charging….
Google is allready offering Free WIFI in 150 bars in Brazil // Check it out: http://thenextweb.com/google/2012/12/13/google-offers-free-wi-fi-internet-connection-in-150-brazilian-bars-for-90-days/
Wi-fi charging seems to be completely impossible in reality – RCA’s Airnergy product seems to have disappeared off the face of the earth and it was the big contender.
Also, why would Google go around installing a nationwide network of free-wifi hotspots when a good 4G network (which is coming anyway) would sh1t all over it anyway? 4G is a helluva lot cheaper to install and maintain than a wired-broadband network is.
just my 2 cents.
Product similar to LIFX:
http://www.yasukogear.com/collections/frontpage/products/perfect-light-remote-controlled-9w-rgb-led-lightbulb