Technology in 2013: surprises are guaranteed There are some things we know are coming next year. The rollout of 4G mobile broadband will expand beyond the EE network in the middle of 2013, for example. Other events are unconfirmed but likely. There will be a new iPhone and at least one new iPad next year, though Apple's release schedule has changed in 2012, making more precise predictions tricky. Though 4G will be more widespread by the middle of next year, there will be plenty who will believe the prices are too high or who will find themselves outside the coverage area. With some parts of Britain still struggling to get a good 3G signal, the country is unlikely to be enjoying home broadband speeds on the move by the end of the year. Elsewhere, BlackBerry-maker RIM will probably continue to struggle but may survive 2013 without either going out of business or being bought. Mobile rival Nokia will likely end the next year in much the same position. The growth of Google's Android operating system will continue and the quality of the devices on which it runs will grow ever better but the search giant is likely to see increased competition from Amazon. The online retailer's Kindle range is affordable, easy to use and threatens to lock-in low-end customers just as Apple has done at the higher end of the market. The growth of mobile gaming will continue to challenge dedicated gaming devices such as the Sony Vita and Nintendo 3DS, while the increase in tablet computers will pull more living room gamers away from their consoles. Even the PC games market could be at risk, if Steam does indeed produce its own Linux-powered games console. Tablets were reportedly selling at a rate of one per second in the run-up to Christmas and it will be interesting to see what effect that has on ereader sales in 2013. The growth of tablets, particularly cheaper models such as Google's Nexus 7 and Amazon's Kindle Fire, means that many will be happy to read ebooks on those instead of on a dedicated device. While some will prefer the advantages of the ereader - no backlit screen and longer battery life - for example, those gadgets could still end the year as a niche device. Whatever happens, the technology world in 2013 is bound to be eventful and the odd surprise or two is guaranteed. Just don't hold your breath for that Apple television set.