Gadgets

5 Hottest Gadgets of 2017

Which gadgets should you have on your must-have list for 2017?

Published

8 years ago

January 12, 2017

2017 is here, people! It’s a new year, a new start, and a new opportunity to indulge and enjoy the epic gadgets coming our way – and there are some goodies. We obviously can’t predict the future (there’s no app for that just yet), but here are our most anticipated gadgets we know are arriving in 2017:

iPhone 8

Whether or not you thought the iPhone 7’s lack of headphone jack was ridiculous or not, there will be a lot of eyes on what Apple does in 2017, and of course, the iPhone 8 is next on the roster. The next iPhone is going to be a major refresh for the product, according to a various reports and rumours. The iPhone 8 is said to have an all-glass design, an organic LED display for better images, no home button, new screen sizes, and more. We’ve also reported that Apple is working on adding built-in augmented reality features — think Pokemon Go, but for all kinds of apps.

iPhone 8

Samsung Galaxy 8

Of course, to every ying, there is a yang. And Samsung will release its iPhone 8 competitor, the Samsung Galaxy 8 sometime in 2017. This will be a huge opportunity for Samsung to recover from the Galaxy Note 7 debacle, and while we don’t know too much about the device, Samsung has announced that it will include a new digital assistant powered by Viv, the artificial intelligence startup Samsung bought last year.

Samsung Galaxy 8

The age of VR

Finally, VR is here and becoming increasingly more affordable for us regular folk who don’t own helicopters and beach houses. One of the biggest additions to the industry will see a new, free update coming to Windows 10 in early 2017 that will let just about anyone use a VR headset with their PC. Companies like Dell, Asus, and Lenovo are all releasing their own VR headsets that will start at around $299 (around R4,000) – that’s much cheaper than other headsets like the Oculus Rift, which starts at $599 (around R8,200).

Lenovo VR

Nintendo Switch

If you were hoping for another gaming console on the market to taunt your wallet, Nintendo has answered your plea. Formerly known as the Nintendo NX, the new machine is called Nintendo Switch. And it looks brilliant. This device combines the best elements of handheld and home gaming into an experience that can be played anywhere in the world, so long as the battery holds out, that is. We know a new Legend of Zelda game, entitled Breath of the Wild, is coming, but based on the announcement video, a new Mario title, Skyrim for Switch, a new Mario Kart, and some other previously-released Xbox One and PS4 triple-A titles will be making the jump to the new console.

Nintendo Switch

Xbox Project Scorpio

Microsoft is set to release the smaller Xbox One S in early 2017 in South Africa, but that isn’t the only Xbox console coming this year. The company is currently working on Project Scorpio, a more powerful version of the Xbox One designed for 4K TVs and potentially virtual reality headsets like the Oculus Rift. The console will be aimed at gamers who value performance over everything else and it’s expected to launch in Q4 2017.

Xbox One Scorpio