WITH a new year comes new gadgets, and we can’t wait to show you what 2013 has to offer. But before you get ready to grab them off the shelves, let us clarify which of these leaked rumours are already sitting in the factory waiting to be shipped to you, and which are still sitting on the drawing tables of the developers.

BlackBerry 10

Confirmed: To be released January 30, 2013

Price tab: Unconfirmed

For all you BlackBerry loyalists, RIM is releasing something you can finally be proud of again! At the end of this month, RIM will be releasing BlackBerry 10 (BB10), its newest operating system for smartphones and tablets based on the QNX operating system, which was acquired by RIM in April 2010.

BB10 promises BlackBerry users a whole new experience with a new user interface as well as the innate ability to multitask fluidly.

BB10’s key selling point is its full take on a business phone, which BlackBerry’s are originally known for, as well as having all the handy and fun apps modern smartphones inclusive of a revolutionised (BlackBerry Messenger) BBM with video chat. BB10 will also have a brand new App Store, which RIM promises will launch with roughly 70,000 BB10 compatible apps.

And, as BB10 is a completely revolutionary BlackBerry OS, it will come with its own new line of handsets, but the specifications of which RIM promises to keep to themselves until the official launch next week.

All we have dug up on the handsets are that there will be two initial models, which are currently going by the names Z10 and X10, which will have a full touchscreen interface and a touch screen and QWERTY keyboard combo respectively. And according to techradar.com   an official leaked RIM document stated that the specifications of the ‘L series’ phone, that is the Z10 will include a 4.2-inch, 1280×768 HD display, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage and an 1,800mAh battery.

PlayStation 4

Confirmed: To be launched October 2013

Price tag: Between US$250-$400

With Sony continually losing ground in the tech market, it’s nice to hear that they may turn their losses around this year with the PlayStation 4.

According to gameindustry.biz the PS4, which is currently going by the name Orbis, will feature eight-core CPUs clocked at 1.6GHz and an AMD Jaguar processor, which disappointingly seems to be a low-power processor, but does offer an excellent ratio between power and performance.

The PS Orbis is also rumoured to have even better integration with the PS Vita, but where games itself are concerned, it will be lacking in the backwards compatibility that the PlayStation line is known for, as well as it may provide most games through your Sony Entertainment Network Account, which will virtually put an end to second-hand games.

According to analyst Colin Sebastian of Baird Equity Research, both the PS4 and its competitor, the XBox 720 consoles, will be mostly built from off-the-shelf PC hardware with integrated voice and motion controls.

The PS4 is being pushed as the ultimate gaming machine, though we feel more work needs to be done. If Sony pushes to have it launched before Christmas 2013, as is planned, it may just seem like a slight upgrade instead of a next-gen console.

Apple Watch

Rumour

An Apple rumour — this time the product takes the form of a digital time piece. So-called Smart watches have been hit and miss over the past couple years, but if Apple decides to join the “industry” we may just see a few more competitors popping up.

According to cnet.co.uk: “Apple is rumoured to be working with Intel on a smart watch that could go on sale in the first half of 2013. The timepiece is rumoured to have a 1.5-inch OLED screen with indium tin oxide coated glass, which will run iOS.”

We also believe that apart from allowing us to check email, integrate with iTunes and keep track of time across the globe, the smart watch will also come with a barrage of health conscious apps.

A previous generation of the iPod Nano could also be worn as a watch, when placed in a specially developed wrist strap; this makes us believe that the ‘iWatch’ rumour might not be too far off.

Sony Xperia

Confirmed: To be released March 2013

Price tag: £528

Sony may have another winner up its sleeves this year, this time with the highly anticipated Xperia Z smartphone.

According to ibtimes.co.uk, this all-in-one micro computer features a five-inch 1080 x 1920 full HD Reality display, powered by Mobile Bravia Engine 2, which is said to provide sharp photos and brightness and will also feature a 13 megapixel rear-facing camera with an Exmor RS mobile image sensor, the first image sensor with High Dynamic Range (HDR) video for smartphones and a front camera of 2.2 megapixels; with both cameras being capable of recording 1080p video.

The Xperia Z will also come with 2GB of RAM and run on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean out of the box with Sony promising an Android 4.2 upgrade soon. This phone is everything we want in a mobile device, except the price, but we still deem it worth it.

Samsung Galaxy S4

Confirmed: To be released

May 2013 Price tag: Unconfirmed

Samsung, arguably the worldleader in smartphones seems as if they like putting out a new phone every year to maintain their title. Rumour has it that we will be welcoming the Galaxy S IVm or GT-I9500 as early as this May.

According to thenewstribe.com the phone’s specs include Exynos 5 Octa (eight-core) CPU, a 4.99-inch Super AMOLED HD full resolution display, 2GB of RAM, a 13mp rear-facing camera capable of shooting 1080p full HD videos and a 2mp front facing camera capable of shooting 720p HD videos. The phone will also come with Android 4.2.1 Jellybean pre-installed with the option of using Samsung’s new Tizen OS; as well as Samsung’s hit capacitive stylus, the S-Pen. Wow, what a mouth-full.