Top 10 Electronic Gadgets of 2012

1. LG 55-INCH OLED TV

Due: October

At just 4mm thin, this television almost disappears from side-on. The first 55-inch organic light-emitting diode television revealed at CES offers more than just a skinny form, however, with benefits including brighter colors, better contrast and more energy efficiency. It also has a tiny bezel around the screen and weighs just 7.5kg, making it much easier to mount on a wall. Early customers will have to pay more for this OLED screen than an LCD model, though it will cost less than $10,000 when it launches in Australia late this year.

2. SAMSUNG 55-INCH SUPER OLED TV

Due: Second half of 2012

Just hours after LG’s TV announcement, Samsung released its own OLED television with a slightly different form. The slender screen is thicker than its rival, at 7.6mm, but Samsung claims it is superior as it eliminates the need for a color filter. The 55-inch television will feature an internet connection for Smart TV, a built-in camera to enable gesture controls and 3D functionality when it arrives in Australia later this year.

3. PROJECT FIONA

Due: 2012

Gaming brand Razer has created a working prototype of a tablet that takes gaming to the next level. Rather than using the tablet’s 10.1-inch touchscreen, players are asked to grab hold of two game controllers on either side, which feature buttons and joysticks. The tablet computer uses Windows 8 and the yet-to-be-released Intel Ivy Bridge chip and delivers games such as Crysis that you would ordinarily only see on PCs or game consoles. Razer promises a price tag of less than $1000.

4. CHAOTIC MOONS BOARD OF AWESOMENESS

Not for release

It’s not quite the hoverboard Back to the Future promised, but it’s closer than ever. Software development firm Chaotic Moons has added gesture and speech controls to an electric skateboard to create the Board of Awesomeness so riders can gesticulate their way around streets at up to 51km/h. The board uses a prototype Samsung tablet running Windows 8 and makes use of Microsoft’s Kinect controls. Chaotic Moons appears unlikely to release this Board for sale, however.

5. FUJIfILM X-PRO1

Due: February

Fujifilm’s upcoming professional class camera looks retro but packs in cutting-edge technology. Its built-in optical viewfinder is actually a hybrid electronic model that can display settings over the scene in front of you and automatically adjusts the magnification to suit whichever of the three fixed X-mount lenses are attached: 18mm, 35mm or 60mm. The 16-megapixel camera features a surplus of dials and buttons for quick setting changes, although it doesn’t focus as fast as competing compact system cameras.

6. NOKIA LUMIA 900

Due: 2012

Nokia’s new flagship Windows smartphone offers an expansive screen and speedy 4G mobile downloads. The Lumia 900, celebrated by Microsoft in the company’s final CES keynote, looks similar to other recent Nokia releases, except for a 4.3-inch AMOLED screen. It also packs in an 8-megapixel camera, a 1.4GHz processor and 16GB of storage.

7. LENOVO IDEAPAD YOGA 13

Due: Second half of 2012

Named Yoga for its ability to flip its screen over, this computer is a laptop-tablet hybrid. It features a dual hinge that lets users fold the screen over entirely or just enough to prop it up on a desk, and a 13.3-inch touch-sensitive screen. The new IdeaPad model will be one of a handful of tablets using Windows 8 when it is released and will do so using a chip as powerful as the Intel Core i7, while storing up to 256GB. The Yoga 13 will be just 1.69cm thick and weigh 1.47kg.

8. SONY TABLET P

Due: This year

Revealed with Sony’s first tablet, this dual-screen tablet folds over into a much smaller device that can be carried inside a jacket pocket (like Sony president Sir Howard Stringer carries it). Working models at CES showed Google Android apps that could be used over both of the tablets 5.5-inch touchscreens or, in the case of games and others, in split-screen format. The tablet weighs less than 400g, runs a 1GHz dual-core processor and is due out sometime this year.

9. ACER ASPIRE A5

Due: Second quarter of 2012

Ultrabooks were thin to start with – 2cm at most – but this model from Acer beats that standard by a significant margin. The Aspire A5 is just 1.5cm thick at its biggest and weighs 1.3kg. It offers full-sized computing, however, with a new Intel processor, solid-state storage and a flip-down panel that reveals HDMI, USB 3.0 and Thunderbolt connections for speedy file transfers. The 13.3-inch laptop, available in a black finish, will arrive in autumn.

10. MOTOROLA MOTOACTV

Available in US now

Awarded the best Bluetooth gadget of CES, Motorola’s fitness gadget does its work wirelessly. The MotoActv is a 4.6cm square device loaded with sensors that can be worn on a wristband or armband to track your exercise. Speed, pace, heart rate and your path can be tracked, though this gadget will also act as an MP3 player and can note to which songs you perform best.