Buy or wait?
We explain which tech products you should grab now and which are worth waiting a little longer for
WINDOWS 10 COMPUTERS
Intel’s Kaby Lake processors (pictured above) are finally appearing in laptops. For example, the Razer Blade Stealth (£1,249 from Amazon www.snipca.com/22831) has an i7-7500u, which uses less power while still matching the performance of many mid-range desktop PCS. Cheaper PCS will follow. Desktop PC builders have also begun to offer models with Kaby Lake processors, but early reports on performance suggest minimal gains over 2015’s Skylake processors. So if you see a Skylake bargain, we wouldn’t necessarily put off buying. By the end of the year, Cannon Lake will be replacing Kaby Lake in laptops. SHOULD I WAIT? Probably not
PHONES & TABLETS
Will 2017 bring an iphone 8 or keep Apple fans waiting again with a 7s? We’re keener to see the more affordable iphone SE 2, rumoured for the spring. Revamped ipads are also likely, and the question is whether the big bezels will disappear. If so, Android tablets will follow suit – but we have a feeling it won’t happen just yet. Android 8 is expected in the autumn, possibly called Oreo, but for now, don’t hesitate to choose a phone or tablet with version 7 (Nougat). SHOULD I WAIT? Only if you’re considering an Apple device
BROADBAND
Ofcom has decided to enforce a split between BT and its wholesale arm Openreach, which owns most of the wires thathat bring the internet into UK homes. The aim is to give more households affordableordable ultra-fast internet.net. It could take ages, but the Government, BT itself and other ISPS might just seize the moment to shake things up or bring forward fibre-optic connections to more homes.
SHOULD I WAIT? Don’t expect big changes instantly, but think twice about signing a two-year contract
TV BOXES
2017 is the 10th anniversary of the Apple TV (pictured below). Neither this nor its rivals have made any dramatic advances lately, so don’t hold your breath. If you’re tempted in the sales by a TV streamer (see our ‘Do I really need…?’ column in Issue 491), go for it. SHOULD I WAIT? No, but you may not want to buy anyway
PRINTERS
Inkjet printers will develop in 2017 – but not in the way you might think. The technology is now being used industrially to ‘print’ products such as OLED screens. As for the paper-guzzling gizmo on your desk, the best we can hope for is falling prices on innovations that reduce the cost of ink, like Epson’s Ecotank system. SHOULD I WAIT? No
VIRTUAL REALITY
Should you wait before buying a VR headset? Yes! Just keep waiting. And waiting. See you here next January. SHOULD I WAIT? Yes – possibly forever