Marathon Week Begins: New Products from Apple, Google, MS & Amazon

Get your seatbelts on, people. Starting today and ending next Monday, a tsunami of major product announcements is set to hit the high-tech world: iPad Mini, Windows 8, Windows Phone 8, Kindle Fire HD, Android 4.2, Nexus 10... Get your fix here!

If you're into gadgets and software, then man is this the week for you. Four of the biggest names in high-tech (Apple, Amazon, Google and Microsoft) have somehow all decided to announce big, new products between the dates of 23 October (today) and 29 October (next Monday). Here's the schedule:

> Tuesday 23 October: Apple iPad Mini (but that's not all...)

Like with the iPhone 5 announcement, once word got out about a potential "iPad Mini", speculations ran rampant. It seems the closer we inch to the 6 p.m. GMT announcement, the more information is coming out. The latest news is that it will be a 7.85" non-Retina display with an "iPod-like" colour scheme and a £200 price tag for the smallest version.



Even more rumours are saying that Apple will use the presentation as a springboard for a brand new MacBook Pro 13.3" with Retina Display and an updated iPad with thinner lines and a Lightning connector.


> Thursday 25 October: Amazon Kindle Fire HD

That's right, the King of Content is finally bringing its Kindle e-reader to the UK. The Kindle Fire will cost £129 and the Kindle Fire HD will cost £159 for the 16 GB model and £199 for the 32 GB.


The Kindle Fire HD is an Android tablet/e-reader that's fed through the Amazon Appstore. It has a 7-inch screen with 1280 x 800 resolution and a 1.2 GHz dual-core processor.


> Friday 26 October: Microsoft Windows 8

This year is a gamble for Microsoft as the countdown to its new operating system draws to an end. Come Friday, Windows 8 will finally be among us.



But there isn't just the operating system; there's also the Surface and Surface RT, Microsoft's first-ever tablets. And, let's say it, the return of Microsoft to the cutting edge is an event in itself. Will the first Windows tablet make a place for itself both among techies and consumers? See how the Surface compares to its two fiercest competitors here.


Ranging from £24.99 for the basic upgrade (or £14.99 if you purchased your current version of Windows after June 2) to £109.99 for Windows 8 Pro (or £189.99 for Windows 8 N Pro).


> Monday 29 October: Microsoft Windows Phone 8

Microsoft's mobile OS is all about cross-functionality. With a new Windows 8-style homescreen and promises of simplified PC/tablet/smartphone interactivity, Windows Phone 8 is an offering to the multi-gadget consumer. And there should be some good surprises in store with imminent launches of new smartphones by other brands designed specifically for the OS.


Without a doubt, the Lumia 920 is the most highly anticipated phone in the lot. With an image-stabilised PureView camera sensor, a 4.5-inch HD IPS display, a 1.5 GHz Snapdragon dual-core processor, 1 GB of RAM and a slew of Nokia apps (Maps, Drive, Music...), the Lumia 920 is the Finnish mobile giant's latest high-end creation.


And then there's HTC, which is releasing its own Windows Phone 8 handsets, the 8S and 8X. The 8S will have a 1 GHz dual-core processor, 512 MB of RAM and a 4-inch display with 800 x 480 resolution, and come in a choice of colours. Like the Nokia Lumia 820, the HTC 8S will likely cause a sizable dent in the low-end market.


> Monday 29 October: Android 4.2 and Google's New 'Nexi'

Google slipped into this week-long extravaganza at the last minute. The company is bent on asserting its presence with all-new Nexus products and the latest version of its operating system, Android 4.2.


Three new products are expected to be announced: two Nexus tablets (a 10-inch version and a variation on the Nexus 7 with 3G and 32 GB) and a smartphone designed by LG, the Optimus G.