Now trending: Tech gadgets to look forward to

Last year was interesting in terms of technology: Samsung beat Apple in the war of the smartphones; the Nexus 7 became the first Android tablet to take a significant slice out of Apple's tablet pie; the iPad mini made its debut; and 4G technology came to India.

The year 2013 too has a lot in store. And even as gadget manufacturers become more and more secretive about their upcoming launches, the rumours continue to grow. Yet we are taking a chance right now, and declaring our top five gadget/trends to look forward to the this year.

Smartphone war continues

Last year was definitely the year of the Android. But even as gadget geeks wait in anticipation for the Samsung Galaxy S4 to launch in March, we hope the competition heats up in the smartphone space with the launch of the Amazon phone. The year will also see BlackBerry trying to make a comeback with its BlackBerry 10, even as Apple fanboys hope for a radically different Apple 5S, in the hope of earning more bragging rights.

On the other hand, Windows will hope to finally have its hands on a smartphone that can eat into the existing competition with its Nokia Lumia 920. Add the HTCs, Motorolas and Sonys into the mix, and 2013 will is definitely looking up.

Apple iTV is here

Earlier this year, in May, Foxconn CEO Terry Gou mentioned that his company is getting ready to begin producing the Apple iTV. Later, Cult of Mac reported that the TV would feature both Siri and iSight to enable voice and face recognition — iPhones and iPads could also be used to control it. Other reports claim that the TV is in its early stages of testing with manufacturers at Sharp and Hon Hai. Analysts claim the TV will most likely retail for $1,500 to $2,000 and would be available in screen sizes of 42 inches and 55 inches. And if the number of rumours is anything to go by, Apple already has a winner on its hands, even without the Mac cult stepping in.

Gaming shifts a gear

Microsoft's long-awaited sequel to the Xbox 360 is expected to hit the market this year. But the rumours have already begun. From its name and core chip, to its potential features (it will apparently come with a Blu-ray disc drive, a next generation Kinect, TV input and output, and 8GB of RAM), every aspect of the device is being debated and then debated again.

And nearly everyone, gamer or not, has an opinion on what it should look like. If you don't believe us, just check out the number of 'working designs' online. And to keep things interesting, PS4 is set for a 2014 launch.

Google Glass launches

Time Magazine called it the "Best Invention of 2012". But 2013 is the year when we finally will see these high-tech frames on the streets. And they have managed to create quite a buzz after an impressive debut at the New York Fashion Week. Bringing augmented reality into our daily lives on a half-inch display, consumers will be able to take and share photos, video chat, check appointments, access maps and surf the World Wide Web. All you need to do to escape the real world and slip into the virtual one is look up and to the right. The future is truly now.

Is this the year of the tablets?

Tech gurus are predicting 2013 to be the year of the tablets. While usual suspects like Google, Apple and the Amazon Kindle are expected to fine tune existing product lines to include better processors and retina display, most analysts are of the belief that Windows 8-based tablets are the wild card and will pack quite a punch.

And if the launch we attended was anything to go by, Microsoft's big bet might finally have paid off this time.